The Anonymous Widower

Bedford And Bletchley For £1.30 Return

I am not talking, rubbish, but that is the ticket price, I was charged to go between Bedford and Bletchley stations today.

Note.

  1. I bought the two tickets from the machine at Bedford station.
  2. I did get £0.70 pence off for my Senior Railcard.

These are some more pictures I took along the route.

Note.

  1. Platform 1a at Bedford station is electrified.
  2. The train was a Class 150 train, that had had a quality refurbishment.
  3. The stations were neat and tidy.
  4. The flyover and the extra platforms at Bletchley station seemed ready for the East West Railway.
  5. There were several level crossings.
  6. Platform 6 at Bletchley station is electrified.
  7. Trains took over fifteen minutes to turn at both ends of the journey.
  8. Bedford and Bletchley is 16.2 miles
  9. The train was moderately full both ways.

This press release from London Northwestern Railway is entitled London Northwestern Railway: Full Timetable To Resume On Marston Vale Line As £1 tickets Launched.

This is an extract.

The full hourly train service will resume on Monday 19 February. To celebrate its return and encourage passengers to return to the route, LNR is also announcing a major ticket offer today. For three months from Monday, a single journey between any two stations on the Marston Vale Line will cost just £1 (50p for children). The promotion represents a discount of up to 90% on the usual fare, depending on the journey.

Jonny Wiseman, LNR customer experience director, said: “The return of the full timetable to the Marston Vale Line is fantastic news and marks the end of a frustrating period for our customers.

“Our focus now is on encouraging passengers to make full use of their local train service, which is why we have reduced the cost of a trip on the line to £1 for the next three months.

When were tickets between Bedford and Bletchley, last this price?

Will Bedford And Bletchley Be Electrified?

It is not a question of will, as the route already is.

  • Platform 1a at Bedford is already electrified.
  • Platform 6 at Bletchley is already electrified.
  • The schedule gives battery-electric trains sufficient time to charge, whilst the driver changes ends at the two terminal stations.
  • Bedford and Bletchley is just 16.2 miles.
  • There is even electrified track from Platform 6 at Bletchley station to Bletchley depot, which is being extended.

All it needs is a small fleet of battery-electric trains, which have a 25 KVAC  overhead capability.

These pictures show a Class 321 Renatus.

Note.

  1. The trains were recently refurbished by Greater Anglia.
  2. In Eversholt Rail And Vivarail To Develop Class 321 BEMU, I talked about how Eversholt Rail planned to get Vivarail to convert the Class 321 Renatus trains into battery-electric multiple units.
  3. The Class 321 train is a 100 mph four-car train.
  4. Four-car trains would future proof the route for many years.
  5. Thirty trains were converted to the Renatus specification.

These trains converted to battery-electric multiple units could certainly handle Bletchley and Bedford services.

Could Four-Car Battery Electric Multiple Units Handle The Next Phase Of East West Rail?

It is likely, when the East West Rail opens that this could be the service.

  • Oxford and Milton Keynes – 2 tph – Calling at Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley
  • Oxford and Bedford – 2 tph – Calling at Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands, Ridgmont and Bedford St Johns
  • Bletchley and Bedford – 2 tph – Calling at Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns

Note.

  1. tph is trains per hour.
  2. I have assumed that the existing Bletchley and Bedford service is doubled in frequency.
  3. I estimate that Oxford and Milton Keynes Central is 41.6 miles.
  4. I estimate that Oxford and Bedford is 54.7 miles.

This would mean the following.

  • Oxford and Bletchley would have a frequency of 4 tph.
  • Bletchley and Bedford would have a frequency of 4 tph.
  • Oxford station would have to charge and turn 4 tph.
  • Bedford station would have to charge and turn 4 tph.
  • Bletchley station would have to charge and turn 2 tph.
  • Milton Keynes Central station would have to charge and turn 2 tph.

There would need to be some form of charging at Oxford.

But Oxford station has two North-facing bay platforms.

These platforms could be electrified or fitted with a Vivarail/GWR Fast Charger.

As it takes less than fifteen minutes to fully-charge a train, two platforms could charge eight tph.

February 20, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

East West Rail: Bedford Mayor Unveils Eight Alternative Routes

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

The Mayor of Bedford has unveiled other potential routes for the East West Rail (EWR) project through the borough.

These four paragraphs outline the current plans and the result of the Mayor’s study.

EWR has already announced its preferred route, linking Oxford and Cambridge via a new track running through Bedford to the north.

Conservative Tom Wootton has defended spending £40,000 to commission consultants to explore alternative routes to the south.

Their report concluded that all options would boost the Bedford economy.

The mayor reflected: “While there is no definitive winner among the proposed routes, the economic potential of the project for Bedford is significant.”

This map from the article shows the current planned route.

Note.

  1. Bedford St. Johns station will be rebuilt.
  2. Trains will go straight through Bedford station.
  3. Tempsford station will connect the East West Railway to the East Coast Main Line.
  4. The East West Railway will unlock the building of much-needed housing and commercial developments at Cambourne.
  5. Trains will go through Cambridge South, Cambridge and Cambridge North stations, and thus serve all important areas of the UK’s Eastern Powerhouse.

As there is no definitive winner among the proposed routes and the economic potential of the project for Bedford is significant, perhaps we should just get on and build the East West Railway’s preferred route.

February 8, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Rollercoasters In My Back Yard’: Welcome To Universal Studios Bedford

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.

This is the sub-heading.

Britain’s answer to Orlando could be a 480-acre world boasting big rides, bigger films and 7m visitors a year. Some locals are far from enchanted

These three paragraphs introduce the story.

Picture the scene: It’s a snowy Christmas Eve, 2030, at King’s Cross station. Dozens of families from across the UK and Europe gather as the station speakers announce: “The train now leaving platform 9¾ is the Hogwarts Express, calling at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And Bedford.”

The stuff of JK Rowling’s fiction? Perhaps not.

For, if all goes to plan, a featureless 480 acres of industrial and agricultural land a short broomstick’s ride from downtown Bedford will, by the end of the decade, become one of the world’s most spectacular theme parks.

I have a few thoughts.

Eden Project Morecambe

Eden Project Morecambe will be the first of a new generation of theme parks in the UK.

The new Eden Project is to be developed at Morecambe, which is close to Lancaster. As Lancaster will be an High Speed Two  terminus, Eden Project North could be connected to HS2 by a high tech shuttle like the Luton DART. So the Eden Project North will also attract day trippers from a large proportion of England and the South of Scotland.

I believe increasingly we will see theme parks, bringing in their visitors on futuristic public transport systems.

The Location Of Universal Studios Bedford

This map from Universal Destinations & Experiences shows the location of the site of the proposed Universal Studios Bedford.

Note.

  1. The site is shown by yellow shading.
  2. The blue lines are major roads.
  3. The pink lines are railways.
  4. The rail link running to the West of the site is currently the Marston Vale Line, which is being developed into the East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes.
  5. The East West Railway will also connect to Ipswich, Norwich and Reading.
  6. The rail link running to the East of the site is the Midland Main Line, which links St. Pancras station with Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

The site certainly has excellent transport connections.

Expanding Rail Connections At Universal Studios Bedford

I believe that in these days of climate change, that theme parks and other attractions like sports stadia and shopping centres will develop their rail connections.

Universal Studios Bedford could have two stations.

  •  Kempston Hardwick on the East West Railway.
  • Their own station on the Midland Main Line.

Note.

  1. Both stations could be connected by a futuristic people mover transporting visitors around the site.
  2. Using current train times, trains would take thirty minutes between the theme park and St. Pancras for Eurostar to and from Europe.
  3. Thameslink’s trains could shuttle visitors to and from Luton Airport.

It should also be noted that several of Southern England’s most visited sites are just a train ride away.

Easy Places To Visit

These attractions would be easy to visit.

  • Bicester Village – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.
  • Cambridge – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2030.
  • London – Direct train from the new station after it’s built.
  • Oxford – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.
  • Woburn Safari Park – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.

Note.

All trains would be electric or battery-electric powered.

I have assumed that rail services between Oxford and Bedford open in 2024.

I have assumed that rail services between Oxford and Cambridge open in 2030.

Conclusion

This is an interesting idea, which is at an excellent location. But will the locals like it?

 

 

December 24, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

East West Rail: Could A New Rail Link ‘Tear Apart’ A Village?

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

A new £5bn railway line connecting Cambridge and Oxford will transform much of the area between the two university cities. It could see one Bedfordshire village grow from a population of about 600 to more than 44,000. What would that change mean for people living there and how do they feel about it?

This Google Map shows the village.

Note.

  1. On the West side of the map there is the Great North Road and the Great Ouse.
  2. On the East side of the Map, there is the electrified East Coast Main Line.
  3. The  village is strung along the East-West lane in the middle of the map, which is inevitably named Station Road.

It appears to have a surgery, a playing field and a Methodist church, but not much else.

I have some thoughts.

Bedford And Tempsford

This Google Map shows Bedford and Tempsford.

Note.

  1. Bedford is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Tempsford is in the North-East corner of the map.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the East West Railway take an East West route to Tempsford, that skirted to the North of Bedford.

In East-West Rail: Through Bedford, I discuss how the East West Railway could branch away to the East from the Midland Main Line.

Tempsford And Cambourne

The next station to the East is Cambourne station.

This Google Map shows Tempsford and Cambourne.

Note.

  1. Tempsford is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Cambourne is in the North-East corner of the map.
  3. St. Neots station can be picked out on the Northern edge of the map.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the East West Railway take a North-Easterly route from Tempsford.

The Possible Station Site At Tempsford

This Google Map shows where Station Road crosses the East Coast Main Line.

Note.

  1. There are a few industrial businesses on what was probably the old station site.
  2. There doesn’t appear to be any housing.

I flew my virtual helicopter lower and took this image.

Note.

  1. It is a level crossing.
  2. There is a car waiting to cross on the Eastern side.
  3. There is also a bus stop on the Western side.

This must be an accident waiting to happen as the speed limit on the trains through here is 125 mph. Remember Upton Nervet, where seven were killed and sixty-six were injured!

Hopefully, the new design of Tempsford station will incorporate a combined rail and road bridge or tunnel.

The Route Of The Railway At Tempsford

I think it is more likely that the railway would go roughly East-West to the North of Station Road.

 

June 14, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Fraught Journey Between Worcester Shrub Hill And Reading Stations

My train home from Worcester Shrub Hill station didn’t make the most impressive of starts to my journey back to Reading.

  • The five-car train was supposed to leave at 15:15.
  • It was also supposed to arrive in Reading at 16:58.
  • But the relief driver was delayed.

Eventually, we left at 15:31.

The train didn’t appear to be running at full speed and around Moreton-in-Marsh, staff started distributing water, which in my view is always a sign that all is not well.

I measured the temperature and humidity at 26.7 °C and 40% respectively, so the water was welcome.

I asked one of the staff what was up and was informed, that two of the engines were overheating because of the heat, so were we effectively running on the remaining cool engine?

Eventually, we were informed that the train would terminate at Charlbury station, where we would all be picked up by the following train, which would have nine cars.

After Charlbury, things didn’t get much better.

  • The rescue train eventually left Charlbury at 17:38, which was twenty-six minutes late.
  • The train wasn’t full and I had a table to myself, but after Oxford, there wasn’t a seat anywhere.
  • We missed out the stop at Didcot Parkway station because of flooding, caused because of a violent thunder storm.
  • The rescue train didn’t even make Paddington and it was terminated short in the bi-directional Platform 7 at Reading, because of an unwell passenger.

Eventually, when I arrived in Reading station at 18:55, the rescue train was fifty-five minutes late.

As my original train, should have arrived at 16:58, I was actually, three minutes short of two hours late.

By the time, I got to Platform 14 for the 16:59 Elizabeth Line train to Central London, it had gone, so I had another thirty minute wait.

I finally arrived home at 21:00, after a nearly 5¾ hour journey.

I have a few thoughts.

Changing At Reading

Part of the reason, that I missed my Elizabeth Line train, was that the escalators to Platform 14 were out of action and I had to wait for the lift, as I don’t trust myself going down stairs.

I have said before that if you need a ticket in your change a Reading, there should be a ticket machine on the bridge.

As Reading station is managed by Network Rail, perhaps, they should examine the operation of the station with a good dose of old-fashioned time and motion in more detail.

The Elizabeth Line Frequency To London

The Elizabeth Line only runs two trains per hour (tph) between London and Reading.

This may be fine when everything is going well, but on days like Sunday, when trains aren’t performing well and the weather is not behaving itself, would four tph be better?

Perhaps, the two extra trains would run between Reading and Abbey Wood, and only stop at say Twyford, Maidenhead, Slough, Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Ealing Broadway, Old Oak Common, Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich.

Great Western Railway Trains Between Oxford, Reading and Didcot Parkway and London

The three terminals get the following services to and from London

  • Didcot Parkway – 4 tph
  • Oxford – 4 tph
  • Reading – 11½ tph – 8½ fast and 3 slow

Consider these questions.

  • How many travellers between Didcot Parkway, Oxford and Reading and Paddington, now use the Elizabeth Line for onward travel from Paddington?
  • How many of the endless visitors to Oxford start their journey on the Elizabeth Line?
  • How many visitors to Oxford combine a trip with one to Bicester Village?
  • How many travelling by train between Oxford and Cambridge will use part of the Elizabeth Line for the journey?
  • Is it fair, that Cambridge is connected to four London rail terminals; King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge and St. Pancras and Oxford is connected to just two; Marylebone and Paddington?

I suspect there’s considerable scope to reorganise services between the three stations and London to provide a better service.

GWR’s Paddington and Didcot Parkway service, which has a frequency of two tph,  could be moved to the Elizabeth Line and possibly extended to Oxford, once Didcot Parkway and Oxford is electrified.

This would give.

  • Didcot Parkway would have  two fast tph to Paddington and two stopping tph on the Elizabeth Line with all its connectivity and delights.
  • Oxford would have  two fast tph to Paddington and two stopping tph on the Elizabeth Line.
  • Reading will have a much-needed Elizabeth Line frequency of four tph.

Note.

  1. Terminating the Elizabeth Line at Oxford, means that there are services connecting Oxford and Cambridge, with a single change at either Farringdon or Liverpool Street.
  2. Oxford would also get one change connectivity to Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted Airports.
  3. The slow lines between Oxford and Maidenhead typically have operating speeds of 90-100 mph. So if the Class 345 trains on the Elizabeth Line and the track were upgraded to 100 mph, this might save a few minutes in the outer reaches of the Elizabeth Line.
  4. The Elizabeth Line could terminate in one or two South-facing bay platforms on the East side of the station. This position would reduce passenger traffic on the crowded footbridge.
  5. If all the bay platforms were on the same East side of the station, this would simplify and ease passenger flows.
  6. Chiltern and East West Railway services could be timed for an easy interchange.
  7. The proposed Cowley Branch could also use the South-facing bay platforms.

The more I look at it, the more I like the idea of running the Elizabeth Line to Oxford.

The Heat Problem On The Class 800 Trains

The Wikipedia entry for the Class 800 trains has this paragraph on the overheating of the engines or generator units (GUs) on the trains.

The GU is installed on vibration-isolating mountings, and fitted with side-mounted cowls to reduce external noise. Heat management measures include thermal insulation around key areas such as cable ducts. According to Modern Railways magazine, the limited space available for the GUs is responsible for them being prone to overheating. It claimed that, on one day in summer 2018, “half the diagrammed units were out of action as engines shut down through overheating”.

That was in 2018, which was five years ago. But it appears to be still happening.

Would Overheating Happen With Battery Units?

One of the reasons, I went to Worcester was to assess the feasibility of battery-electric trains on the route.

This article from EV-Lectron is entitled Electric Cars in Hot Weather – What You Need To Know, gives a detailed set of answers.

But it probably comes to the conclusion, that cold weather with the extra heating load might be more of the problem.

I suspect, that if you were running battery electric trains on a route of over fifty miles, the best thing would be to have electrification at both ends of the route.

If, as I have calculated in Reading And Oxford – 10th June 2023, that to run battery-electric trains to Hereford needs a length of electrification between Worcester Shrub Hill and Great Malvern stations, then when they leave the electrification, they should have the interiors at the right temperature for staff and passengers.

I also suspect that battery-electric trains need to be well insulated to cope better with cold weather.

 

June 13, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Reading And Oxford – 10th June 2023

Yesterday, after breakfast on Moorgate, I went for an explore at the Western end of the Elizabeth Line.

My aim was to change at Reading for Oxford and then have a bit of an explore in the University City.

These are my observations and thoughts.

Changing Trains At Reading

There are two trains per hour between Liverpool Street and Reading station, but at the Moorgate end of Liverpool Street station, there is no way of buying a ticket, that would get me between Reading and Oxford. To make things more complicated, I needed to be quick with my change at Reading, as I only had a few minutes before the next Oxford train left Reading.

In the end I had to leave Reading station and walk across the concourse in front of the station.

O then bought a ticket in a machine and then re-entered the station.

Great Western Railway can do better.

In Germany, there would be a ticket machine inside the barriers for those changing trains. But we never do that!

In the end, I missed my train and had to wait thirty minutes for a very crowded London Paddington to Oxford train.

Electrification At Oxford

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the planned electrification at Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The four through lines are shown in dotted red-and-black, which indicates, that they will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  2. The proposed electrification continues all the way to Didcot Parkway station on the map.
  3. The two black tracks are the unelectrified platforms for Chiltern and East West Railway services.

But the proposed electrification stops just outside the station. Why?

Great Western Railway Services Beyond Oxford

Great Western Railway run an hourly service to Great Malvern, which according to Wikipedia terminates as follows.

  • 4 trains per day continue to Hereford calling at Colwall and Ledbury.
  • 1 train per day terminates at Worcester Shrub Hill.
  • 4 trains per day terminate at Worcester Foregate Street.

So what are the distances of these stations from Oxford?

  • Great Malvern – 65.6 miles
  • Hereford – 86.3 miles
  • Worcester Foregate Street – 57.6 miles
  • Worcester Shrub Hill – 57.2 miles

I suspect that one version of the Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, which is shown in the infographic below

could handle all these distances.

After the Oxford and Didcot Parkway electrification is complete, trains will arrive at Oxford station with a full battery.

But how would the batteries be recharged for the journey back to Oxford?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks at Worcester.

Note.

  1. Trains to and from Oxford, use the tracks in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. Trains to and from Birmingham, use the tracks in the North -East corner of the map.
  3. Trains to and from Great Malvern and Hereford, use the tracks in the South-West corner of the map.

I suspect that some selective electrification would be able to charge the trains.

Trains take around twenty minutes to go between Great Malvern and Worcester Shrub Hill via Worcester Foregate Street.

Electrifying this 8.5 mile section would surely enable the following.

  • Trains to leave Worcester Shrub Hill for Oxford with a full battery.
  • Trains to leave Great Malvern for Hereford with a full battery.
  • As Hereford and Great Malvern are only 20.7 miles apart, I suspect a return trip without a recharge is possible.
  • Trains terminating at Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street to be fully recharged before travelling back to Oxford.

Other services to and from the Worcester stations could also be run by battery-electric trains.

As Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford stations are only 57.2 miles and well within the capabilities of most battery-electric trains, there would be no need to electrify the route.

I may of course, be wrong about the length and position of the electrification at Worcester, but this could be just one of many solutions using partial electrification.

Does this explain the stopping of the proposed electrification at Oxford?

In addition, there must be marketing opportunities in running a battery-electric service to Hereford and Worcester.

The Bay Platforms At Oxford Station

These pictures show the two North facing bay platforms 1 and 2 at Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The platforms are not electrified.
  2. They appear to be easily updated with electrification to be able to charge Chiltern and East West Railway trains.
  3. Marylebone is only 66.7 miles from Oxford.
  4. Milton Keynes Central is just over 40 miles from Oxford.
  5. Bedford is just under 60 miles from Oxford.

I suspect that services from Oxford to Bedford, Marylebone and Milton Keynes can all be run by battery-electric trains.

 

 

June 11, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Government Agrees To Fund £200m Cambridge South Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

The government has agreed to fully fund a new £200m railway station.

These are a few points.

  • Work has already started.
  • The station is next to the city’s Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
  • Cambridge South station will be on the East West Railway.

It is expected to be open within two years.

I have a few thoughts.

Services At Cambridge South Station

In a typical hour, it seems the following trains go through the proposed site of Cambridge South station.

  • 2 tph – Greater Anglia – Liverpool Street and Cambridge North via Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Roydon (1tph), Harlow Town, Harlow Mill (1tph), Sawbridgeworth (1tph), Bishop’s Stortford, Stansted Mountfitchet (1tph), Elsenham (1tph), Newport (1tph), Audley End, Great Chesterford (1tph), Whittlesford Parkway, Shelford (1tph) and Cambridge.
  • 1 tph – Greater Anglia -Norwich and Stansted Airport via Wymondham, Spooner Row (1tpd), Attleborough, Eccles Road (1tpd), Harling Road (1tpd), Thetford, Brandon, Shippea Hill (1tpd), Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge, Whittlesford Parkway and Audley End
  • 1 tph – Great Northern – King’s Cross and Ely via Cambridge, Cambridge North and Waterbeach.
  • 1 tph – Great Northern – King’s Cross and King’s Lynn via Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market and Watlington.
  • 1 tph – Great Northern – King’s Cross and Cambridge via Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton.
  • 2 tph – Thameslink – Cambridge and Brighton via Royston, Ashwell & Morden, Baldock, Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin, Stevenage, Finsbury Park, St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Blackfriars, London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill
  • 1 tp2h – CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport via Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely and Cambridge.

Note.

  1. tph is trains per hour.
  2. tp2h is trains per two hours.

This gives a base frequency through  Cambridge South, Cambridge and Cambridge North of 8.5 tph.

Could some services be extended to Cambridge South or Stansted Airport?

  • 1 tph – Greater Anglia – Ipswich and Cambridge via Needham Market, Stowmarket, Elmswell, Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, Kennett (1tp2h), Newmarket and Dullingham (1tp2h).
  • 1 tp2h – CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Cambridge via Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March and Ely.

These two trains would gives frequencies of.

  • Cambridge South – 10 tph
  • Cambridge – 10 tph
  • Cambridge North – 9 tph

I have assumed these services would terminate at Cambridge South.

There could also be some new services.

1 tph – Greater Anglia – Wisbech and Cambridge via March, Ely and Waterbeach, Cambridge North and Cambridge.

1 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Great Yarmouth via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winsford, Bletchley, Bedford, Tempsford, Cambourne, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Brandon, Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich.

1 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Manningtree via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winsford, Bletchley, Bedford, Tempsford, Cambourne, Cambridge, Newmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, Stowmarket, Needham Market and Ipswich.

These three trains would gives frequencies of.

  • Cambridge South – 13 tph
  • Cambridge – 13 tph
  • Cambridge North – 11 tph

I have assumed these services would terminate at Cambridge South.

The A14 Parkway Station

The A14 Parkway station is a proposal from the East West Railway.

  • It would be just to the East of Chippenham junction and would be served by both Greater Anglia’s services between Ipswich and Cambridge and Ipswich and Peterborough.
  • It would also be close to the major road junction, where the A11 and the A14 meet.
  • It would be a Park-and-Ride station.

I believe it could be a major factor in cutting road mileage in East Anglia, as drivers going to Cambridge from Ipswich, Norwich, a large area of North-East East Anglia and North Essex could find that using the A14 Parkway station an easier and faster route. But the A14 Parkway would need a frequent service to the soon-to-be-three main Cambridge stations.

A Soham and Cambridge service could reverse at the A14 Parkway station or by careful timetabling, passengers would be able to change trains in a minute or two.

A Soham and Cambridge service, that terminated at Cambridge South, would give an extra train between Cambridge South and Newmarket and these frequencies at the three Cambridge stations.

  • Cambridge South – 13 tph
  • Cambridge – 14 tph
  • Cambridge North – 12 tph

There would be a minimum interval of no more than five minutes between trains, if you wanted to hop between any of the three Cambridge stations.

Frequencies between Cambridge station and other main stations in the area would be as follows.

  • A14 Parkway – 2 tph
  • Attleborough – 2 tph
  • Bishop’s Stortford – 2 tph
  • Bletchley – 2 tph
  • Bury St. Edmunds – 2 tph
  • Ely – 6 tph
  • Great Yarmouth – 1 tph
  • Harlow Town – 2 tph
  • Hitchin – 3 tph
  • Ipswich – 2 tph
  • King’s Lynn – 1 tph
  • Letchworth Garden City – 3 tph
  • Manningtree – 1 tph
  • March – 1 tph
  • Needham Market – 2 tph
  • Newmarket – 2 tph
  • Norwich – 2 tph
  • Peterborough – 1 tph
  • Royston – 3 tph
  • Soham – 1 tph
  • Stansted Airport – 2 tph
  • Stevenage – 3 tph
  • Stowmarket – 2 tph
  • Thetford – 2 tph
  • Wisbech – 1 tph
  • Wymondham – 2 tph

Looking at this list, I think that the timetable needs reinforcing, to perhaps Colchester, Haverhill, March, Peterborough, Soham and Sudbury.

But these services will help.

  • 1 tph – Greater Anglia – Ipswich and Peterborough via Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Soham, Ely, Manea, March and Whittlesea.
  • 1 tph – East Midlands Railway – Liverpool and Norwich via Liverpool South Parkway, Widnes, Warrington Central, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough, Ely and Thetford

But I can’t help feeling that the Stour Valley Railway needs to be reopened.

 

June 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station – 4th June 2023

I went to Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations today, to check out if my recent posts about the East West Railway are correct and take some pictures of the two stations.

This Google Map shows the layout of Aylesbury Vale Parkway station.

Note.

  1. The station only has a single bay platform.
  2. It appears that there is a step-free walk between the car park and the platform.
  3. There is no bridge or need for one.
  4. There is a single through line at the station on the opposite side to the car park, which is mainly used by trains going to the landfill at Calvert.

It looks from this map, that if the single platform were widened to an island platform, that both terminating and through trains could call in the station.

These are my pictures of the station.

Note.

  1. The second track can be seen in the eighth picture.
  2. I believe an island platform could be created between the two tracks.
  3. There is a substantial amount of car parking for 501 vehicles.
  4. There is a step-free connection between the platform and the car parking.
  5. There appears to be a good grid connection.

I believe that Aylesbury Vale Parkway station could be modified to be a single platform station on the Aylesbury Spur of the East West Railway, that I wrote about in East-West Rail: Aylesbury Spur.

This Google Map shows the area around the station.

It shows how a parkway station can provoke development on an area.

June 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

East-West Rail: Electrification

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, says this about electrification.

As of March 2020, electrification of the line is not planned, but the 2019 decision (to rule it out) is under review.

But I don’t think it’s a simple decision of electrify or not!

These observations are guiding my thoughts.

Milton Keynes Central Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The short platform is Platform 2A, which can take a five-car train and was built recently to terminate the Marston Vale Line service.
  3. Could Platform 2A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Milton Keynes station?

The Wikipedia entry for Milton KeynesCentral station, has a section called Platforms and Layout, which gives full details.

Bletchley Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Bletchley station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The wide swath of red going North is the West Coast Main Line.
  3. The smaller patch of red to the East of the West Coast Main Line are electrified sidings.
  4. All low-level platforms at Bletchley station are electrified.
  5. The viaduct platforms, are shown in black as they are not electrified.
  6. A non-electrified line leads North-West from the viaduct towards Milton Keynes Central.
  7. The Milton Keynes end of the line between Milton Keynes Central station and the viaduct is electrified.
  8. A non-electrified line leads North-East from the viaduct towards Fenny Stratford and Bedford.

The Google Map shows a 3D visualisation of Bletchley station.

I can’t see much sign of any electrification.

Bedford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Bedford station.

Note.

  1. All platforms at Bedford station are electrified.
  2. The lines to the West of the station are the electrified Midland Main Line.
  3. The Marston Vale Line services terminate in the short Platform 1A, which is the South-East corner of the station.
  4. The track into Platform 1A is electrified for about two hundred metres, through the sidings South of the station.

This picture shows the electrified track as it crosses over the river.

Could Platform 1A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Bedford station?

It’s odd that there is the same platform layout at both ends of the Marston Vale Line.

Is it just a coincidence or does Engineer Baldrick have a cunning Plan?

Oxford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The dotted red and black tracks, indicate electrification is planned.
  2. The planned electrification will connect Oxford station to Didcot Junction station.
  3. The two bay platforms at the North of the station are not electrified and Platform 2 is now used by Chiltern’s London services.
  4. Platform 1 could be used by trains on the East West Railway that terminate at Oxford.

When Oxford station is electrified, it wouldn’t be the largest project to add 25 KVAC overhead electrification to the two bay platforms.

Aylesbury Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the lack of electrification around Aylesbury station.

Note.

  1. No tracks are electrified.
  2. Platforms are numbered 3, 2, 1 from the top, so 2 and 3 are paired in the middle.
  3. All freight trains go through Platform 2 and most seem to go via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe.
  4. Chiltern services use Platforms 1 and 3.

Putting a charging system in Aylesbury station could be tricky.

I wonder if the simplest system for East West Railway would be to electrify between Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations.

Chiltern Railway’s time between the two stations is as much as seven minutes.

Some trains to Aylesbury take over twenty minutes to do the short journey to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return, which is more than enough to fully-charge a battery-electric train.

You can even have Chiltern’s hourly Aylesbury Parkway service, sharing the same stretch of electrification with East West Railway’s Aylesbury service, as there is a loop, which creates double-track for some of the way.

It should be noted that between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations is only 41.1 miles, so some battery-electric trains could do that with a full charge at one end.

East West Railway Distances

In Trains Needed For The East West Railway, I calculated some of these distances.

  • Oxford and Bedford – 46.8 miles
  • Oxford and Milton Keynes – 33.4 miles
  • Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 25.9 miles

With charging at both ends, all of these routes are possible using modern battery-electric trains, where even a Class 777 IPEMU, designed for extending Merseyrail’s suburban network has done 84 miles on one charge.

On To Cambridge

In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, these services are suggested, for when the East West Railway is complete.

  • An hourly train via Norwich terminating at Great Yarmouth.
  • An hourly train via Ipswich terminating at Manningtree.

These are distances on these routes that are not electrified, that are to the East of Cambridge.

  • Ely and Norwich – 53.7 miles
  • Norwich and Great Yarmouth – 18.3 miles
  • Cambridge and Haughley Junction – 40.3 miles

Note.

  1. The Manningtree service would be able to charge its batteries after passing Haughley junction going East and it would be nearly an hour before it needed to use the battery for traction.
  2. If the Yarmouth service could handle the full route on batteries, then it could return to Cambridge with an efficient charger at Great Yarmouth, which for 25 KVAC overhead electrification trains is an off the shelf item.
  3. But it does look to me that the trains must leave Cambridge with full batteries, so they can reach electrification at Bedford, Haughley or Norwich.

This map shows the route of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge.

Note.

  1. Bedford is on the electrified Midland Main Line to London.
  2. Tempsford is on the electrified East Coast Main Line to London.
  3. Cambridge has two electrified main lines to London.
  4. These connections should ensure a good power supply to the East of Bedford for electrification.

I suspect the easiest option will be to add some more electrification at one or more of these places.

  • At the Eastern end of the Bedford and Cambridge section.
  • To the West of Haughley junction, when it is rebuilt.
  • To the North of Ely, when the railways in that area are improved.

Although, as it will be a new route, it might be best to build Bedford and Cambridge as an electrified railway.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

East-West Rail: Along The Marston Vale Line

For the initial phase of the East West Railway, it doesn’t appear that the Marston Vale Line will be improved.

As I write this, I have not heard of any improvements between Bedford and Bletchley.

Perhaps, with all the arguments about the section of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge, the Government, Network Rail and the East West Railway feel that the best approach, is to do what they can with the existing track layout and the rebuilt viaduct at Bletchley.

These are my thoughts.

The Capacity Of The Marston Vale Line

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, this is said about the infrastructure of the line.

Apart from a short length of single track at both ends, the line is double track, and is not electrified. It has a loading gauge of W8 and a line speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The line’s signalling centre is at Ridgmont.

The line has a length of only 16.5 miles.

I believe with modern signalling and well-trained drivers, that the line could accommodate at least two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.

At its simplest every half hour, a train would leave both end stations and the two trains would pass each other on the long double-track section in the middle.

Proposed Train Services

Train services on the East West Railway will be as follows, when it opens between Oxford and Milton Keynes and Bedford, are proposed to be as follows.

  • 2 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley
  • 1 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont
  • 1 tph – West Midlands Trains – Bletchley and Bedford via Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns

If the East West Railway uses the Marston Vale Line between Bletchley and Bedford, then there will be two tph along the Marston Vale Line.

I believe that if the Marston Vale Line is not improved until later, then the proposed initial train service pattern can be achieved.

The New Bletchley Viaduct

The tracks appear to have been laid on the Bletchley Viaduct.

This Google Map shows the tracks on the viaduct.

Note.

  1. The double-track viaduct runs North-South in the middle of the map.
  2. The two platforms appear to be substantially complete.
  3. The two lift and stair towers are at the Southern end of the platforms.

This second Google Map shows the section of the viaduct by the roundabout.

Note.

  1. The viaduct splits with two tracks going North-West to Milton Keynes Central and two tracks going North-East to Bedford.
  2. There is a complicated junction, which appears to allow a lot of flexibility for train operations.

I have followed the Milton Keynes tracks and there are cross-overs, so that trains can go between Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station, which they will need to do to run services between Oxford and Aylesbury, and Milton Keynes Central.

This Google Map shows the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford, which is the first station towards Bedford.

Note.

  1. The Princes Way roundabout in the West of the map.
  2. The Milton Keynes and Bedford tracks divide close to the roundabout.
  3. Fenny Stratford station in the East of the map.
  4. The tracks gradually combine from West to East, so there is only one track for the single platform at Fenny Stratford station.

This Google Map shows the Western section of the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford.

Note, how the two tracks on the viaduct join into one for going towards Fenny Stratford in the North-East corner of the map..

I’m certain, that this track layout, allows a train to go between the single platform at Fenny Stratford station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station.

A Milton Keynes Central And Bedford Service

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, there is a section, which is entitled Extension to Milton Keynes Central, where this is said.

In June 2005, the then franchisee, Silverlink Trains announced an intention to extend the Marston Vale service via the West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central, where a new platform and track would be built alongside the up slow track. Work began on 4 December 2006 at the station to prepare for a service connection. The platform was ready for use in January 2009 but the service did not materialise and there are no longer any published plans for it to do so. A firm service pattern on East West Rail remains to be announced but the illustrative pattern has no Bedford–Milton Keynes Central service; passengers will continue to have to change at Bletchley. There is no east-to-north chord between this line and the WCML: As of December 2020, the route the chord might take is occupied by trade outlets and a warehouse.

But.

Supposing a Milton Keynes to Bedford train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Bedford along the Marston Vale Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 1A at Bedford station.

And supposing a Bedford to Milton Keynes train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 1A at Bedford to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Milton Keynes Central along the tracks alongside the West Coast Main Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. There would be some bi-directional running.
  2. Trains would only reverse on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  3. Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central would handle 4 tph.
  4. Platform 1A at Bedford station would handle 2 tph.

As the only reversing happens on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct, would it be sensible for a new driver to step-up, so that the reverse was fast?

I believe that with some innovative running, that a Milton Keynes and Bedford service is possible, because of the comprehensive track layout that has been installed.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 10 Comments

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