What Are Greater Anglia Going To Do With A Problem Like The Crouch Valley Line?
This post is effectively a series of sub-posts describing the problems of the Crouch Valley Line.
Platform 1 At Wickford Station
These pictures show Platform 1 at Wickford station, where services on the Crouch Valley Line terminate.
The train in the platform is a four-car Class 321 train, which is almost exactly eighty metres long.
After Greater Anglia has renewed the fleet, the shortest electric train they will have will be a five-car Class 720 train, which is over one hundred and twenty metres long.
I don’t think one of these shiny new trains will fit into the current platform.
Electrification
These pictures show the electrification at Burnham-on-Crouch station.
And these show Southminster station.
The overhead electrification on the Shenfield to Southend Line is being renewed and this section is supposedly finished. But it does look very similar to pictures I took in 2016, that are posted in Wickford Station. As the 25 KVAC overhead electrification was installed in 1979, when the line was converted from 6.25 KVAC, I do wonder about the age of some of the gantries.
On the trip, where I took these pictures staff were still complaining about the unreliability of the wires, as they have done before.
There doesn’t appear to have been any work done on the Crouch Valley Line, although the conductor did say that the route was being closed at times for work in the near future.
I do question, whether the overhead wires on the Crouch Valley Line are of a sufficient high and modern standard to be both reliable and easy and affordable to maintain.
Can the electrification handle regenerative braking?
The Timetable
The timetable East of Shenfield is as follows.
- Three trains per hour (tph) between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations.
- A train every forty minutes between Wickford and Southminster stations.
- There are also some direct services between Southminster and Liverpool Street in the Peak.
Every time, I go use the line it seems, I always have a long wait at Wickford station.
Current services take thirty minutes between the two end stations with generous turnround times of about ten minutes at each end of the route.
Two trains are needed for the service, which are single-manned with a conductor checking and selling tickets appearing to float between the trains.
A New Nuclear Power Station At Bradwell
There is a possibility of building.of a new nuclear power station at Bradwell.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- Burnham-on-Crouch is the large village on the North Bank of the River Crouch.
- Southminster is a couple of miles to the North of Burnham on Crouch.
- Bradwell is in the North-East corner of the map alongside the River Blackwater.
- You can just see the World War 2 airfield, which was the site of the original Bradwell nuclear power station.
If a new power station is built at Bradwell, I doubt that it will require rail freight access at Southminster, as did the original station.
Transport technology has moved on and heavy goods will surely be taken in and out by barge from the River Blackwater.
But a new station or more likely ; a cluster of small modular reactors will require transport for staff, contractors and visitors.
Although, on balance, with the growth of renewable energy, I don’t think that many more nuclear power stations will be built.
A Battery Storage Power Station At Bradwell
I also wouldn’t rule out the use of Bradwell for a battery storage power station for the electricity generated by wind farms like Gunfleet in the Northern section of the Thames Estuary.
The number and size of these wind farms will certainly increase in the coming years.
Battery storage power stations are ideal partners for wind farms, as they help turn the intermittent wind power into a constant flow of electricity.
Currently, the largest battery storage power station is a 300 MWh facility that was built in 2016, at Buzen in Japan.
Energy storage technology is moving on fast and I would not be surprised to see 2000 MWh units by the mid-2020s.
Bradwell could be an ideal place to put a battery storage power station.
Passenger Numbers
Passenger numbers on the line over the last few years seem to have been fairly level although there appears to have been a drop in the last year or so. But this drop has happened in lots of places!
Various factors will effect the passenger numbers on the Crouch Valley Line in the future.
- New housing along the route.
- A large energy-based development at Bradwell will atract passengers.
- New trains will attract passengers.
- Will the Internet and new working practices affect passenger numbers?
- A two tph clock-face service will attract passengers.
- Faster and more frequent services between Liverpool Street and Wickford will make the line easier to access.
There is also the possibility of more visitors and tourists to the area. The RSPB have spent a lot of money developing Wallasea Wetlands, which is opposite Burnham-on-Crouch.
In future years, how many people will reach Wallasea, by ferry from Burnham-on-Crouch?
Adding up all these factors, I come to two conclusions.
Predicting the number of passengers will be difficult..
There will always be passengers who need this rail service.
It looks to me that Greater Anglia will have to plan for all eventualities from very low numbers of passengers to a substantial increase.
New Trains
Shenfield-Southend services and those on the Crouch Valley Line will be run using new Class 720 trains.
Bettween Liverpool Street And Southend Victoria
Currently, this service on the route is as follows.
Trains have a frequency of three tph.
- Each train takes an hour for the journey.
- All trains stop at the seven stations between Shenfield and Southend Victotria, Shenfield and Stratford.
- One train in three has an extra stop at Romford.
The new trains have a faster acceleration of 1 metre per second², as opposed to the current trains which can only manage 0.55 metre per second².
This property and their modern design, probably means that the new trains, can do a complete round trip between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations in under two hours.
- The journey time between the two stations will be around fifty minutes.
- A three tph frequency will need a fleet of six trains.
- A four tph frequency will need a fleet of eight trains.
This service will be faster than the fastest services between Fenchurch Street and Southend Central stations.
I can certainly see a time, when the frequency between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations is increased to four tph.
Passenger numbers are rising strongly at Southend Victoria station.
Southend Airport have big expansion plans and would welcome a better rail service, to and from their very convenient station.
At present times to their London termini from various airports are as follows.
- Gatwick Airport – 31 minutes (Express)
- Luton Airport – 28 minutes
- Southend Airport – 53 minutes
- Stansted Airport – 46 minutes
I think that Southend Airport times with the new trains could be about 43 minutes or less, which because of the closeness of the station to the terminal building could allow Southend Airport to claim faster times to Liverpool Street than Stansted Airport.
If the service does go to four tph, there will be a massive increase in capacity.
There will be 1145 seats in the new trains, as opposed to 927 in the current Class 321 trains.
With four tph. this would mean an increase in capacity of 40%.
I don’t think anybody in Southend will be complaining.
Between Wickford And Southminster
As I said earlier, the new longer Class 720 trains will have difficulty running the current service, as they don’t fit into Platform 1 at Wickford station.
Working the same timetable the new trains with their 544 seats will offer a 76% increase in train capacity.
Trains take thirty minutes with five intermediate stations.
Given the better acceleration and modern nature of the new trains, I wonder, if they will be able to do a round trip in an hour.
If they can do this, then it would be possible to run a two tph service on the route.
But it will be a tough ask!
That still leaves the problem of turning back the trains at Wickford.
Currently, trains between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria going in opposite directions, pass at Wickford station.
If this could be arranged with four tph, then there would be up to fifteen minute windows, where no train was passing through Wickford station.
Suppose the Liverpool Street and Southend services passes through at XX:00, XX:15. XX:30 and XX:45.
Would it be possible for the Southminster trains to leave Wickford at XX:10 and XX:40 and arrive back at XX:05 and XX:35, thus giving five minutes for the driver to get to the other end.
As I said, it would be a tough ask!
But I suspect there is a plan to get two tph between Wickford and Southminster.
- The track could be improved.
- Some level crossings could be closed.
- Operating speed could be faster.
- Better step-free access could probably be arranged at the intermediate stations.
- A step-free bridge could be built at Wickford.
If two tph can be achieved, then this would increase capacity on the route by 134 %.
The Passing Loop At North Fambridge Station
This Google Map shows the station and passing loop at North Fambridge station.
Measuring from the map, I estimate the following.
- The length of the platforms are 160 metres.
- The length of the passing loop is in around 400 metres.
I also suspect that to save money was the line was singled in the 1960s, British Rail made the passing loop as short as possible to cut costs.
The current loop can handle eight-car Class 321 trains, so it can certainly handle a five-car Class 720 trains.
I do wonder if the passing loop were to be lengthened, this would ease operation on the line.
There might even be a length, that enable a two tph service with the current four-car Class 321 trains.
Thoughts On Speed Limits
The speed limit on the line is 60 mph between Battlesbridge and North Fambridge stations and 50 mph at both ends of the line.
Summarising sections of the line, their length and speed limits give.
- Wickford and Battlesbridge – 2 miles 38 chains = 4356 yards = 3983 metres – 50 mph
- Battlesbridge and North Fambridge – – 5 miles 67 chains = 10274 yards = 9395 metres – 60 mph
- North Fambridge and Southminster – 8 miles 15 chains = 14410 yards = 13177 metres – 50 mph
This gives totals of 17160 metres with a 50 mph limit and 9395 metres with a 60 mph limit.
- At 50 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 12.8 minutes
- At 60 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 10.7 minutes
- At 75 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 8.5 minutes
Increasing the speed limit to 60 mph would save two minutes.
Network Rail must have all the figures and costs, but this could be a cost-effective way to save a couple of minutes.
But it does seem if the operating speed of the line were to be increased, time saving could be achieved, that would make a two tph timetable a reality.,
Could Electrification Be Removed From The Crouch Valley Line?
If the track is going to be improved with respect to line speed, level crossings and passing loops, then there will have to be changes to the layout of the overhead electrification.
Most of the serious changes that could be carried out, would be to the East of North Fambridge station.
Would it be sensible if the Class 720 trains have a battery capability, to remove the electrification to the East of North Fambridge station?
- 13.2 km. of single-track would have the electrification removed.
- Some of this electrification will need replacing soon.
- Trains could swap between power sources in North Fambridge station.
- The batteries would be charged between Wickford and North Fambridge stations.
- Only 16 miles in each round trip would be on batteries.
Removing some electrification would cut the cost of any works.
Conclusion
I’m sure Greater Anglia have a solution and it’s probably better than my rambling.
Bombardier’s 125 Mph Electric Train With Batteries
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.
It has struck me, that for some applications, that the diesel engines are superfluous.
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, in an article entitled Bi-Mode Aventra Details Revealed.
In a report of an interview with Bombardier’s Des McKeon, this is said.
Conversion to pure electric operation is also a key design feature, with the ability to remove the diesel engines and fuel tanks at a later date.
So why not swap the diesel engines and add an equal weight of extra batteries?
Batteries would have the following uses.
Handling Energy Generated By Regenerative Braking
Batteries would certainly be handling the regenerative braking.
This would give efficiency savings in the use of electricity.
The total battery power of the train, would have to be large enough to handle all the electricity generated by the regenerative braking.
In the Mathematics Of A Bi-Mode Aventra With Batteries, I calculated the kinetic energy of the train.
I’ll repeat the calculation and assume the following for a pure electric train.
- The train is five cars, with say four motored cars.
- The empty train weighs close to 180 tonnes.
- There are 430 passengers, with an average weight of 90 Kg each, with baggage, bikes and buggies.
- This gives a total train weight of 218.7 tonnes.
- The train is travelling at 200 kph or 125 mph.
These figures mean that the kinetic energy of the train is 94.8 kWh. This was calculated using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator.
My preferred battery arrangement would be to put a battery in each motored car of the train, to reduce electrical loses and distribute the weight. Let’s assume four of the five cars have a New Routemaster-sized battery of 55 kWh.
So the total onboard storage of the train could easily be around 200 kWh, which should be more than enough to accommodate the energy generated , when braking from full speed..
Traction And Hotel Power
Battery power would also be available to move the train and provide hotel power, when there is no electrification.
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
As the Aventra is probably one of the most modern of electric multiple units, I suspect that an Aventra will be at the lower end of this range.
An Intelligent Computer
The train’s well-programmed computer would do the following.
- Choose whether to use electrification or battery power to power the train.
- Decide when the battery could be charged, when electrification power was being used.
- Arrange, that when a train stopped at a station without electrification, the batteries were as full as possible.
- Manage power load, by shutting off or switching equipment to a low energy mode, when the train was running on batteries.
- Raise and lower the pantograph as required.
The computer could take account of factors such as.
- Passenger load and total weight.
- Route and train’s position.
- Weather.
- Future signals.
The computer would only be doing a similar job that is done by those in the flight control systems of aircraft.
Although, trains run in less dimensions and don’t need to be steered.
How Far Would This Train Go On Batteries?
This is question of the same nature as how long is a piece of string?
It depends on the following.
- The severity of the route.
- The size of the batteries.
- The load on the train.
- The number of stops.
- Any delays from slow-moving trains.
- The timetable to be used.
I would expect that train manufacturers and operating companies will have a sophisticated mathematical model of the train and the route, that can be run through various scenarios.
With modern computers you could do a Monte-Carlo simulation, trying out millions of combinations, which would give a very accurate value for the battery size to have a near hundred percent chance of being able to run the route to the timetable.
After all if you ran out of power with a battery train, you stop and the train has to be rescued.
Suppose you were going to run your 125 mph Electric Train With Batteries from Kings Cross to Middlesbrough.
- You would need a battery range of about fifty miles, to go between Northallerton and Middlesbrough stations and come back.
- You would also need to have enough power to provide hotel power in Middlesbrough station, whilst the train was turning back.
Certain things could be arranged so that the service runs smoothly.
- The train must leave the East Coast Main Line with a fully-charged battery.
- The train must leave the East Coast Main Line as fast as possible.
- The train should have a minimum dwell time at all the intermediate stops.
- The train could be driven very precisely to minimise energy use.
Some form of charging system could also be provided at Middlesbrough. Although it could be difficult as there are only two platforms and trains seem to turn round in a very short time of six minutes
Electrification could also be extended for two hundred metres or so, at Northallerton junction to ensure points 1 and 2 were met.
Effectively, trains would be catapulted at maximum energy towards Middlesbrough.
Points 3 and 4 require good signalling, a good Driver Advisory System and above all good driving and operation.
What Other Routes Could Use 125 mph Electric Trains With Batteries?
Use your imagination!
Braintree Freeport Station
These pictures show Braintree Freeport station on the Braintree Branch.
Note.
- There is one platform that can accommodate an eight-car formation of two Class 321 trains, so it must be at least 160 metres long.
- The platform is used in both directions.
- Like much of the electrification on the Great Eastern Main Line and its branches, it is not in the first flush of youth and some parts had evidence of repair.
- The station information could be better, but that is a problem on a lot of Greater Anglia’s smaller stations.
- The route to the Braintree Freeport Shopping Centre is about four hundred metres and not too taxing.
I suspect that a bit more TLC would improve this station.
But will the electrification on the Braintree Branch be replaced in the near future?
The New Class 720 Trains
I went to Braintree Freeport station in an eight-car formation of two Class 321 trains, which weren’t by any means full.
In Comparing Greater Anglia’s Old And New Electric Multiple Units, I said this.
Given that the Class 720 is a modern train, designed with passengers, staff and operators in mind, I can’t see any problems with replacing the current eight-car trains with a five-car Class 720 train
I also suspect that if required, an extra car could be added to make six-car trains with a length of 146 metres, that would be shorter than an eight-car Class 321 train. .
If a single Class 720 train isn’t enough capacity for the Braintree Branch, then by adding a passing loop at Cressing station, the frequency of trains on the branch can be doubled, which could attract more passengers to the route.
Could the Braintree Branch Have The Electrification Removed?
This may seem like a retrograde step, but consider the following.
- I’m fairly certain, that the Class 720 trains, which are Aventras have been designed to use batteries to handle regenerative braking and the trains have a useful range on battery power.
- The Braintree Branch is only six miles long.
- The electrification will have to be replaced or upgraded in the next few years.
- Building the loop at Cressing station without electrification would be a cost saving.
- There are no other services on the branch, except the occasional diesel-hauled engineering train.
- The batteries would be charged between Liverpool Street and Witham stations.
I would be very surprised, if removing the electrification and using battery power is not being considered.
Conclusion
New Class 720 trains with a battery capability and the addition of a passing loop at Cressing station would improve the Braintree Branch line.
Cost Studies Could See Electrification Comeback
This post was updated on the 1st May 2021.
The title of this post is the same as that of an article by Roger Ford in the September 2018 Edition of Modern Railways
There are now two studies into the cost of railway electrification.
- The Department of Transport has commissioned Professor Andrew McNaughton.
- The Railway Industry Association have launched an Electrification Cost Challenge.
Both arudies expected to be completed in October.
The article gives some examples of electrification costs per single track kilometre (stkm).
- A sustained rolling program – £1million/stkm
- Great Western Main Line – £3million/stkm
- Northern England – Below £2million/stkm.
- Cumbernauld-Springburn – £1.2million/stkm
- East Coast Main Line – £500,000/stkm (At current prices)
The article finishes with these words.
£1million/stkm would be a feasible target.
That the Department for Transport has commissioned the independent review suggests electrification could still be on the agenda.
Roger is very much a respected commentator and his conclusions are more likely to be spot on, than wide of the mark.
Does Running Electric Trains On A Route Count As Electrification?
I ask this question deliberately, as over the last few years several schemes have been proposed to electrify perhaps two miles of line to a new development or city or town centre.
The Midland Metro is being extended to Wolverhampton station by building a tram line, that will be run using battery power on the existing trams.
Another example of this type of line is the extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside. After reading all the documentation, I have found that electric trains are mentioned several times, but electrification is not. As Bombardier Aventras probably can run on battery power, does this mean that the extension will be built without wires?
May 2021 Update – It now looks like the route is being fully electrified.
There are also some electrified branch lines, where the overhead electrification is unadulterated crap, that was erected over fifty years ago and has been got at by the steel moths.
Could we see the electrification on these branches removed to save on replacement and maintenance costs and the trains replaced by battery trains charged on the electrified main lines?
Recent Developments
I think various developments of recent years will help in the containing of electrification costs.
Batteries On Trains
It is my belief that batteries on trains could revolutionise the approach to electrification.
In my view, batteries are the only way to handle regenerative braking, which cuts energy costs.
This means, that if no trains using a route, return their braking energy through the electrification, then costs are saved by using simpler transformers.
Adequate battery capacity also gives other advantages.
- Bombardier are fitting remote wake-up to Aventras. I wrote about this in Do Bombardier Aventras Have Remote Wake-Up?
- Depots and sidings can be built with only limited electrification.
- Hitachi use batteries charged by regenerative braking to provide hotel power for Class 800 trains.
- Batteries are a simple way of moving trains in a Last Mile application on perhaps a short branch line.
- Battery power can be used to rescue a train, when the electrification fails.
Reports exist of Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler using or researching the use of batteries in trains.
May 2021 Update – All Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains and East Coast Trains’ Class 803 trains will have small batteries for all purposes except traction.
Hydrogen Power
I am becoming more enthusiastic about hydrogen power, which is primarily being developed by Alstom.
- The UK could produce a lot of hydrogen easily from electrolysis of either brine to produce chlorine or water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
- Wind power would be a convenient way to provide the electricity needed.
- Alstom are starting a project at Widnes to convert redundant Class 321 trains to hydrogen power.
A hydrogen powered Class 321 train would appear to be a powerful concept.
- The trains will still be able to run on electrification.
- The trains are pollution-free.
- The trains make extensive use of batteries.
- Alstom quote ranges of several hundred kilometres.
- It would appear that the trains will still be capable of 100 mph after conversion.
- Class 321 trains can be updated with quality interiors.
I believe these trains could find a solid market extending electrified routes.
Porterbrook’s Class 769 Trains
The Class 769 trains have been a long time coming, but companies have ordered 35 of these bi-mode upgrades of Class 319 trains.
- They will be capable of 100 mph on electricity
- They will be capable of 90 mph-plus on diesel
- They will be able to use 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC third rail electrification.
- They have been designed with a powerful hill-climbing capability.
Looking at the orders, some need the hill-climbing capability and GWR’s proposal to use the trains on the dual-voltage Reading-Gatwick route is a sensible one.
Bombardier’s 125 mph Bi-Mode Aventra With Batteries
I think that this train and others like it will be the future for many rail routes in the UK and around the world.
I will use the Midland Main Line as an example of the use of this type of train.
In a few years time, this important route will have the following characteristics.
- A high proportion of 125 mph running.
- Electrification between St. Pancras and Kettering/Corby
- Possibly, electrification between Sheffield and Clay Cross courtesy of High Speed Two.
Full electrification would be difficult as part of the route is through a World Heritage Site.
But Bombardier’s train would swap power source intelligently as it powered its way along at 125 mph.
May 2021 Update –Hitachi got the order and their Class 810 trains appear to be capable of being converted into Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Trains, which are described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note the claim of fuel and carbon saving of at least twenty percent.
Stadler’s Electric/Diesel/Battery Hybrid Train
This version of Greater Anglia’s Class 755 train, has been ordered for the South Wales Metro.
It can run on the following power sources.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Onboard diesel generators.
- Batteries
An intelligent control system will select the best power source.
With a central power pack between passenger cars, the design of this train is slightly quirky.
- It is a 100 mph train with lots of acceleration.
- I’m sure it could be equipped for 750 VDC electrification.
- The power pack can be configured for different operators and types of routes.
- Stadler are quite happy to sell small fleets of trains into niche markets.
- It is a member of the successful Flirt family of trains, which are selling all over the world.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of these trains sold to the UK.
Hitachi’s Class 800 Trains and Class 802 Trains
Hitachi’s Class 800 trains are already running on the Great Western Railway.
- They have an operating speed of 125 mph on both electricity and diesel.
- TransPennine Express have ordered nineteen Class 802 trains.
- Hull Trains have ordered five Class 802 trains.
I have gone from London to Swansea and back in a day in Class 800 trains and they the new trains seem to be performing well.
They will get even better, as electrification is extended to Cardiff.
May 2021 Update –Hitachi are developing battery-electric and tri-mode versions of these trains.
100/125 mph Bi-Mode Trains
In the previous sub-sections I have talked about four new bi-mode trains, that can run using electrification and under their own power.
- Class 321 Hydrogen
- Porterbrook’s Class 769 Train
- High Speed Bi-Mode Aventra
- Tri-Mode Stadler Flirt
- Hitachi’s Class 800 Trains and Class 802 Trains
The designs are different, but they have common features.
- An operating speed of at least 100 mph on electrified lines.
- 90 mph-plus operating speed, when independently powered.
- An out-and-back range of at least 200 miles away from electrification.
- Proven designs from large families of trains.
Only one new route for these trains has been fully disclosed and that is Greater Anglia’s new Liverpool Street-Lowestoft service.
- There will be three round trips a day between Lowestoft and London, using Class 755 trains.
- North of Ipswich, diesel power will be used.
- South of Ipswich, electric power will be used and trains will join the 100 mph queues to and from London.
- Extra trains North of Ipswich, will use additional Class 755 trains, shuttling up and down the East Suffolk Line.
As the Class 755 trains and the express Class 745 trains on London-Ipswich-Norwich services will share the same team of drivers, it is an efficient use of bi-mode trains to extend an electric network.
Several of the proposed electrification schemes in the UK in addition to allowing electric trains, will also open up new routes for bi-mode and tri-mode trains.
- Stirling to Perth electrification would allow bi-mode trains to run between Glasgow and Aberdeen via Dundee.
- Leeds to York electrification would improve TransPennine bi-mode performance and allow electric trains access to Neville Hill TMD from the East Coast Main Line.
- Sheffield to Clay Closs electrification for High Speed Two would also improve bi-mode performance on the Midland Main Line.
I think it should be born in mind, that the rolling out of the Class 800 trains all over the GWR, seems to have generated few bad reports, after a few initial problems.
In Thoughts On The Introduction Of Class 800 Trains On The Great Western Railway, I came to this conclusion.
There’s nothing much wrong operationally or passenger-wise with the Class 800 trains, that will not be put right by minor adjustments in the next couple of years.
So perhaps extending an electric network with quality bi-mode trains works well.
Used creatively bi-mode trains will increase the return on the money invested in electrification.
Tram-Trains
I first saw tram-trains in Kassel in 2015 and I wrote about them in The Trams And Tram-Trains Of Kassel.
We are now embracing this technology in a trial in Sheffield using new Class 399 tram-trains.
I believe that, the UK is fertile territory for this technology.
- KeolisAmey Wales haven’t waited for the results of the Sheffield trial and have already ordered thirty-six tram-trains with batteries for the South Wales Metro.
- It also looks as if the West Midlands are planning to use the technology on an extension of the Midland Metro to Brierley Hill.
- Glasgow are investigating a tram-train route to Glasgow Airport.
Although Network Rail and the Department for Transport seem to be only lukewarm on the technology, it does appear that local interests are much more enthusiastic.
In my view, the South Wales Metro is going to be a game changer, as it uses existing tracks, virtually standard tram-trains, electric/diesel/battery trains and a modicum of street running to transform a city’s transport system.
Intelligent Pantographs
I have read that the electro-diesel Class 88 locomotive can change between electric and diesel modes at line speed.
As a Control Engineer, I don’t believe it would be an impossible problem for a train powered by a mixture of 25 KVAC overhead electrification and diesel, battery, hydrogen or some other fuel to raise and lower a pantograph efficiently, to take advantage of any overhead wires that exist.
The raising and lowering could even be GPS controlled and totally automatic, with the driver just monitoring.
Ingenious Electrification Techniques
In Novel Solution Cuts Cardiff Bridge Wiring Cost, I wrote about how two simple techniques; an insulating coating and surge arresters, saved about ten million pounds, by avoiding a bridge reconstruction.
How much can be saved on electrification schemes by using simple and proven techniques like these?
Better Surveying And Site Information
A lot of the UK’s railways are like long Victorian buildings.
If you’ve ever tried to renovate a cottage that was built around the middle of the nineteenth century, you will understand the following.
- It is unlikely you will have any accurate plans.
- Some of the construction will be very good, but other parts will be downright shoddy.
- You have no idea of the quality of the foundations.
- If the building is Listed you’ll have a whole new level of bureaucracy to deal with.
Now scale your problems up to say a ten mile stretch of rail line, that needs to be electrified.
Instead of dealing with a cottage-sized plot, you may now be dealing with the following.
- A double track railway with four train per hour (tph) in both directions.
- A site that is several miles long.
- Access to the work-site could be difficult.
So just surveying what has to be done and making sure you have details on any unforeseen underground structures like sewers, gas and water mains and old mine workings, can be a major undertaking.
Reading local newspaper reports on the Gospel Oak to Barking electrification, you get the impression the following happened.
- Various overhead gantries were built to the wrong size.
- A sewer was found, that had been missed by surveyors.
- It was wrongly thought that the bridge at Crouch Hill station had sufficient clearance for the electrification. So much more work had to be done.
At least there weren’t any mine workings in East London, but as you can imagine these are a major problem in areas in the North.
Surely, nearly twenty years into the 21st century, we can avoid problems like these.
Discontinuous Electrification
Low bridges and and other structures crossing the tracks, can be a big and expensive problem, when it comes to electrifying railway lines.
In the proposed electrification of the lines for the South Wales Metro, look at these statistics.
- A total of 172 km. of track will be electrified.
- Fifty-six structures were identified as needing to be raised.
The cost savings of eliminating some of this bridge raising would not be small.
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled KeolisAmey Wins Welsh Franchise.
This is said about the electrification on the South Wales Metro.
KeolisAmey has opted to use continuous overhead line equipment but discontinuous power on the Core Valley Lnes (CVL), meaning isolated OLE will be installed under bridges. On reaching a permanently earthed section, trains will automatically switch from 25 KVAC overhead to on-board battery supply, but the pantograph will remain in contact with the overhead cable, ready to collect power after the section. The company believes this method of reducing costly and disruptive engineering works could revive the business cases of cancelled electrification schemes. Hopes of having money left over for other schemes rest partly on this choice of technology.
In the final design, KeolisAmey have been able to use this discontinuous power solution at all but one of the fifty-six structures.
These structures will be checked and refurbished as required, but they would be unlikely to need lengthy closures, which would disrupt traffic, cyclists and walkers.
Each structure would need a bespoke structure to create a rail or wire on which the pantograph, would ride from one side of the structure to the other. But installing these would be a task of a much smaller magnitude.
There must be a lot of scope for both cost and time savings.
I think in the future, when it comes to electrifying existing lines, I think we’ll increasing see, this type of discontinuous electrification used to avoid rebuilding a structurally-sound bridge or structure.
I also think, that experience will give engineers a more extensive library of solutions.
Hopefully, costs could be driven downwards, instead of spiralling upwards!
Complimentary Design Of Trains And New Electrified Routes
In recent years two major electric rail projects have been planned, which have gone much further than the old philosophy of just putting up wires and a adding fleet of new trains.
I believe that the Crossrail Class 345 trains and the tunnel under London were designed to be complimentary to each other to improve operation and safety and cut operating costs.
But the interesting project is the South Wales Metro, where discontinuous electrification and battery power have been used to design, what should be a world-class metro at an affordable cost.
Too many electrification schemes have been designed by dull people, who don’t appreciate the developments that are happening.
Conclusion On Recent Developments
UK railways are doing better on electrification than many think.
Possible Developments
These are ideas I’ve seen talked about or are my own speculation.
Intelligent Discontinuous Third Rail Electrification
New third rail electrification is not installed much these days, due to perceived safety problems.
I have seen it proposed by respected commentators, that third rail electrification could play a part in the charging of train batteries.
Discontinuous third-rail electrification is already used extensively, at places like level crossings and where a safe route is needed for staff to cross the line.
But it is done in a crude manner, where the contact shoes on the train run up and down the sloping ends of the third rail.
As a time-expired Control Engineer, I’m fairly sure that a much better, safer system can be designed.
On the South Wales Metro, where discontinuous overhead electrification is to be used, battery power will be used to bridge the gaps.
Supposing trains on a third-rail electrified route, were fitted with batteries that gave the train a range of say two kilometres. This would give sufficient range to recover a train, where the power failed to a safe evacuation point.
The range on battery power would mean that there could be substantial gaps between sections of electrification, which would be sized to maximise safety, operational efficiency and minimise energy use.
Each section of electrification would only be switched on, when a train was present.
Train drivers could also have an emergency system to cut the power in a particular section, if they saw anything untoward, such as graffiti artists on the line.
Third Rail Electrification In Stations
I have seen it proposed by respected commentators, that third rail electrification could play a part in the charging of train batteries.
When you consider that trains often spend fifteen or twenty minutes at a terminal station, it could make it easier to run electric or bi-mode trains with batteries on branch lines.
The rail would normally be switched off and would only be switched on, when a train was above and connected to the rail.
As a time-expired Control Engineer, I’m fairly sure that a safe system can be designed.
Third Rail Electrification On Viaducts
To some overhead electrification gantries on top of a high viaduct are an unnecessary eyesore.
So why not use third-rail electrification, on top of viaducts like these?
Trains would need to be able to swap efficiently and reliably between modes.
Gravity-Assisted Electrification
For a country with no really high mountains, we have quite a few railways, that have the following characteristics.
- Heavily-used commuter routes.
- Double-track
- A height difference of perhaps two hundred metres.
These are a few examples.
- Cardiff Queen Street to Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert
- Exeter to Barnstaple
- Glasgow Central to East Kilbride
- Manchester to Buxton
All are in areas, where putting up overhead gantries may be challenging and opposed by some campaigners.
As an example consider the Manchester to Buxton route.
- The height difference is 220 metres.
- One of Northern’s Class 319 trains weighs 140.3 tonnes.
- These trains have a capacity of around 320 passengers.
- If each passenger weighs 90 Kg with baggage, bikes and buggies, this gives a train weight of 167.3 tonnes.
These figures mean that just over 100 kWh of electricity would be needed to raise the train to Buxton.
Coming down the hill, a full train would convert the height and weight into kinetic energy, which would need to be absorbed by the brakes. Only small amounts of new energy would need to be applied to nudge the train onto the hill towards Manchester.
The brakes on trains working these routes must take a severe hammering.
Supposing, we take a modern train with these characteristics.
- Four cars.
- Electric traction.
- 200 kWh of battery capacity to handle regenerative braking.
Such a train would not be a difficult design and I suspect that Bombardier may already have designed an Aventra with these characteristics.
Only the uphill line would be electrified and operation would be as follows.
- Climbing to Buxton, the train would use power from the electrification.
- On the climb, the train could also use some battery power for efficiency reasons.
- The train would arrive at Buxton with enough power left in the batteries to provide hotel power in the stop at Buxton and nudge the train down the hill.
- On the descent, regenerative braking would be used to slow the train, with the energy created being stored in the batteries.
- On the level run to Manchester, battery power could be used, rather than electrification power to increase efficiency.
How efficient would that be, with respect to the use of electricity?
I would also investigate the use of intelligent third-rail electrification, to minimise visual impact and the need to raise any bridges or structures over the line.
Gravity is free and reliable, so why not use it?
We don’t know the full
Conclusion On Possible Developments
Without taking great risks, there are lots of ideas out there that will help to electrify routes in an affordable manner.
Conclusion
I very much feel we’ll be seeing more electrification in the next few years.
Alloa Station
Alloa station is ready for new electric services.
Currently, there is only an hourly service, which is just not enough for a town of 20,000 residents.
Note too, that there is a double-track through the station, although it looks like the second track is not electrified.
But it does appear that the gantries have been built so, that the second track could be electrified, so that electric trains could be run through the station to reopened stations to the East.
A Railway That Needs Electric Trains But Doesn’t Need Full Electrification
This article on Rail Magazine is entitled ScotRail Targets Further Electrification Schemes.
This is the first paragraph.
The five years from 2019 could feature more wiring in Scotland, with ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes telling RAIL: “I’d love to see more electrification – Stirling to Perth, East Kilbride and the Edinburgh South Suburban.”
In this post, I will look at electrification of the Busby Railway to East Kilbride station.
- The station is 11.5 miles from Glasgow Central station.
- The station has an altitude of 504 feet.
- It is a single platform station.
- The route to Glasgow is double-track, except for the last section from Busby station, which is single track, with a passing loop at Hairmyres station.
- A two trains per hour (tph) service is provided between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride using two two-car diesel Class 156 trains.
This picture shows East Kilbride station.
Nothing complicated at this station and it comfortably handles two tph.
In the UK, there are several stations where four tph are handled using a single platform.
- Chester, Kirkby and Ormskirk on Merseyrail.
- Clapham Junction, Dalston Junction, Highbury & Islington, New Cross and West Croydon on the London Overground.
Transport for Wales also intend to run four tph to several single-platform stations including Rhymney, which is high in the valleys.
I suspect that with modern signalling and driver aids, Glasgow’s drivers would be capable of running four tph between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride stations.
Judging by my trip on the route, there is certainly a need for more capacity, as if every seat is taken at two in the afternoon, two-car trains running at a frequency of two tph is just not enough.
So surely running new four-car electric trains to the current timetable, would be the standard solution for this route?
But!
Look at these pictures of the route..
It wouldn’t be a nightmare to electrify, but because of the stone bridges and the steel footbridges, it would be expensive and very disruptive.
The following should also be noted.
- The railway has never gone further than East Kilbride station.
- There is no freight on the line, except for that needed for maintenance.
I am very much drawn to the conclusion, that to electrify the whole route would use money that would probably be better spent on improving step-free access at some of the stations.
Electric Trains To East Kilbride Without Full Electrification
Before I detail the solutions, I shall look at the energy required to raise a train from Glasgow to East Kilbride station.
Consider.
- A four-car electric train like a Class 321 train weighs 138 tonnes.
- This train has 309 seats, so could probably accommodate 400 passengers.
- Assuming each weighs 90 kg with buggies, baggage, bicycles and bagpipes, this gives a train fully-loaded train weight of 174 tonnes.
Using Omni’s Potential Energy Calculator, it would take 73 kWh of energy to raise the train to the 504 feet altitude of East Kilbride station.
It should also be noted that Glasgow Central station and the approaches to the station are fully electrified almost as far as Crossmyloof station.
What solutions are available to have as-new electric trains running between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride station?
The Rhymney Line Solution
The Rhymney Line runs between Cardiff Central and Rhymney stations.
In the design of the new South Wales Metro, the highest section of this line between Ystrad Mynach and Rhymney stations will be run on battery power.
- This section is about eleven miles long.
- It is a mixture of single and double-track.
- The height difference is 410 feet.
This is very similar in severity to the Busby Railway.
Transport for Wales are proposing to use Tri-Mode Stadler Flirt trains on this route.
These trains would be able to handle the East Kilbride route without any modification to the track or electrification.
It would just mean.
- Trains identical to those on the South Wales Metro.
- Building and delivering the trains.
- Training the drivers and other staff.
There would be other advantages.
- Stadler trains seem to be one of the best for step-free access, with automatic gap fillers between platform and train.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- They are ready for modern signalling.
- They can change mode at line speed.
These trains which will be Class 755 trains in Abellio Greater Anglia service, have a central power-pack, that can incorporate diesel or battery power to supplement power from the electrification.
Good engineering design would probably mean.
- The four slots in the power pack, can be fitted with a diesel engine, battery or perhaps even a hydrogen fuel cell to give a power profile tailored to the route.
- The battery would weigh a similar amount to the Deutz diesel engine, which would give a battery capacity of perhaps 100-120 kWh.
- There is an intelligent computer system controlling the power and braking systems.
- The trains come in various lengths from three-cars upwards.
This is a summary of the Stadler multi-mode trains ordered for the UK.
- Abellio Greater Anglia – Electric/Diesel – 14 x three-cars – Two Deutz diesel engines
- Abellio Greater Anglia – Electric/Diesel – 24 x four-cars – Four Deutz diesel engines
- Trains for Wales – Electric/Diesel – 11 x four-cars – Four (?) Deutz diesel engines
- Trains for Wales – Electric/Diesel/Batteries – 7 x three-cars – One Deutz diesel engine and three batteries (?)
- Trains for Wales – Electric/Diesel/Batteries – 17 x four-cars – One Deutz diesel engine and three batteries
I’m sure Abellio Greater Anglia won’t leave Abellio ScotRail, short of operational information.
In addition, they might be ideal for other routes in the Glasgow area.
- The Glasgow South Western Line to Kilmarknock, Dumfries and Carlisle.
- The Ayrshire Coast Line to Ayr and Stranraer.
- The West Highland Line to Oban and Mallaig.
They would use the electrification, when close to Glasgow.
I can’t see any reason, why another version of the Tri-Mode Stadler Flirt won’t be able to run services between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride stations.
The Battery Solution
Transport for Wales intend to run their Tri-Mode Stadler Flirts on battery from Ystrad Mynach to Rhymney. I can’t see any reason why a well-designed battery train can’t do the similar climb to East Kilbride station.
Of the major train manufacturers, only Stadler seem to have declared their hand with the Rhymney Line proposal.
- Bombardier have run prototypes in the UK and Germany, but are very protective with solid information.
- CAF have run battery trams and will introduce them to the UK in the next year or so.
- Hitachi use batteries in their trains and have run battery trains in Japan.
Also, consider that between Glasgow Central and Pollokshields East stations is electrified and extending this electrification to say Busby Junction. where the Busby Railway leaves the Glasgow South Western Line, would have the following benefits.
- The distance to run on batteries would be reduced by about three miles.
- There would be more electrification to ensure that train batteries were full before the climb to East Kilbride.
- If bi-mode trains were to run to Kilmarnock, Dumfries and Carlisle, they would have more electrified line to use.
This short section of electrification would certainly improve the mathematics of running battery trains to East Kilbride.
As Busby Junction to Kilmarnock is around twenty miles, it might even make it possible to run battery trains between Glasgow Central and Kilmarnock stations.
I have no doubts that, a battery train can be built to handle services between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride.
The Hydrogen Solution
I tend to think of trains powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, as battery trains with an environmentally-friendly onboard power source.
The Busby Line route is ideal for battery trains, especially, if there is a few miles of new electrification at the Glasgow Central end of the route.
Alstom’s proposed hydrogen-powered Class 321 train, could also be ideal for this route.
Four-car trains with a decent interior, would certainly solve the overcrowding on the route.
In A Class 321 Renatus, a comment was put, that says that the hydrogen-powered Class 321 trains will share the Renatus interior.
I’d suspected that would be the case, as why would the train’s owners; Eversholt Rail Group, design two different interiors for the same purpose?
The train would be able to leave Glasgow Central station with a full battery and with the help of electricity from the hydogen fuel cell, it would be able to climb to East Kilbride.
Coming down, the train would be partly powered by the battery, but mainly by gravity. Energy generated by the regenerative braking would be stored in the battery.
Alstom will be building a mathematical model of the train and its performance on various routes, so they will know the energy flows, when the train is working.
I said earlier that the following routes would be ideal for Stadler’s bi-mode trains.
- The Glasgow South Western Line to Kilmarknock, Dumfries and Carlisle.
- The Ayrshire Coast Line to Ayr and Stranraer.
- The West Highland Line to Oban and Mallaig.
I feel the same logic applies to Alstom’s hydrogen trains.
Conclusion
All three solutions, I outlined in this post, could be possible.
The solutions have several things in common.
- All will be fully tested elsewhere on the UK rail network.
- None need any electrification between Busby Junction and East Kilbride.
- All would benefit from a few extra miles of electrification between Busby Junction and Glasgow Central station.
- All solutions are backed by respected train building companies.
I think there will be a very keen contest to see who supplies the trains for this and other related routes from Glasgow.
The Stone Arch Railway Bridges Of Scotland
There are a lot of stone arch railway bridges in the UK, but they do seem to more numerous in Scotland, than in England.
These pictures show a selection of bridges on the Borders Railway.
I counted to about fifteen between Edinburgh Waverley and Galashiels stations.
There were probably about an equal number of bridges where a stone arch bridge had been replaced by a modern concrete structure, like this one.
They’ll probably last a thousand years, but they lack the charm of the stone arch bridges.
These pictures show a selection of bridges on the Busby Railway between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride stations.
These pictures show a selection of the many bridges between Aberdeen and Montrose stations on the Edinburgh – Aberdeen Line.
I took pictures of at least twenty.
Freight Trains
Freight trains, especially those with the larger containers need a loading gauge, that is big enough to accept them.
The loading gauge in the UK, is summed up by these two sentences from Wikipedia.
Great Britain has (in general) the most restrictive loading gauge (relative to track gauge) in the world. This is a legacy of the British railway network being the world’s oldest, and having been built by a plethora of different private companies, each with different standards for the width and height of trains.
These are the commonest gauges.
- W6a: Available over the majority of the British rail network.
W8: Allows standard 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) high shipping containers to be carried on standard wagons.
W10: Allows 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) high Hi-Cube shipping containers to be carried on standard wagons and also allows 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide Euro shipping containers.
W12: Slightly wider than W10 at 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) to accommodate refrigerated containers.
W12 is recommended clearance for new structures, such as bridges and tunnels
The Borders Railway appears to have been built to at least W8, so it could handle standard freight containers.
But the line doesn’t carry freight!
On the other hand, I suspect the following were considered, when designing the Borders Railway.
- Network Rail and rail maintenance companies, may need to bring some large rail-mounted equipment along the line for regular or emergency maintenance.
- If the line is extended to Carlisle, the route could be used as a diversion for freight trains, if the West Coast Main Line is closed, due to weather or engineering works.
- There may be a need to use the Borders Railway to extract timber from the forests of the Borders.
The need for freight on the Borders Railway, explains why there are so many new overbridges.
Electrification
Electrification with overhead wires needs extra clearance.
It looks to me, that the Borders Railway has been given enough clearance for future electrification.
Problems With EGIP
Electrification under the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Program (EGIP), proved to be difficult.
It wasn’t helped by the standards changing half-way through the project and the numerous bridges and tunnels that had to be rebuilt.
An important route like Edinburgh to Glasgow probably needs to be fully-electrified, but the difficulties encountered and those in Lancashire have encouraged Network Rail and the engineering consultants to look at other methods of electrifying lines in the UK.
Electrification Between Edinburgh And Aberdeen
I doubt this will ever happen in a conventional manner.
- Would electrification of the Forth Bridge and Tay Rail Bridge be allowed?
- The disruption of rebuilding the stone bridges would be enormous.
- The line only has a maximum speed of 100 mph.
Diesel and alternative power sources like hydrogen will be able to maintain the fastest speeds, that are possible on the line.
Money would probably give better value, if it were to be used to increase line speed.
Opposition To Rebuilding Bridges
This article on Rail Technology Magazine is entitled Network Rail Electrification Plans Stalled After Council Rejects Bridge Removal Bid.
This is first paragraph.
Campaigners are celebrating after plans from Network Rail to demolish a bridge as part of its electrification scheme were rejected by a local council.
The bridge in question is a Grade II listed overbridge at Steventon in Oxfordshire.
It is not unlike those in Scotland, that are shown in my pictures.
In the 1960s, British Rail would have just blown it up and replaced it with a concrete monstrosity.
I am not advocating a return to this policy, but Network Rail has a problem at Steventon, that they need to fully electrify the line, if electric trains are to use the route on electric power, rather than using environmentally-unfriendly diesel power.
Since the new Class 800 trains for the route were designed and ordered, the technology has moved on.
In South Wales, discontinuous electrification and trains with a battery capability will be used.
Conclusion
Scotland and other parts of the UK, like the Pennines and in the valleys of South Wales, have a serious problem with the way the Victorians built our railways.
\development of the UK rail network with electrification and an enhanced freight capability needs to be thought out carefully and with great ingenuity.
HS2 To Kick Off Sheffield Wiring
The title of this post is the same as that of a small article in the August 2018 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the first paragraph.
HS2 Ltd is to begin preparatory works for electrification of the Midland Main Line between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield
This will mean that the current Midland Main Line will be electrified at both ends, which will surely make it easier to design new trains for the line.
Grayling Confirms Electrification Will Form Part Of £3bn TransPennine Upgrade
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
his is a key section of the article.
But now, in a letter to the Railway Industry Association (RIA), Grayling has finally confirmed that the TransPennine upgrade will be a “rolling programme of enhancements,” including both major civil engineering projects and electrification.
He wrote: “The key to delivering improved journey times on what is a very circuitous route through the Pennines involves rebuilding and relaying most of the track bed from Manchester to York.
“We are awaiting Network Rail’s final project plan, but we have instructed them to prioritise those elements which bring the quickest passenger benefits. This will include things like straightening lengths of track to improve line speed.”
If nothing else Chris Grayling’s comments appear to have been measured ones and not a quick response to ht out to shout down the various groups for whom nothing short of full electrification is an acceptable solution.
The Routes Across The Pennines
There are three main routes across the Southern section of the Pennines. From North to South they are.
The Calder Valley Line from Manchester Victoria and Preston in the West to Leeds, Selby and York in the East via Hebden Bridge, Halifax and Bradford.
The Huddersfield Line from Manchester Airport, Piccadilly and Victoria in the West to Leeds, Hull and York in the East via Stalybridge, Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
The Hope Valley Line from Manchester Piccadilly in the West to Sheffield in the East.
Note.
- The three routes are much of a muchness with operating speeds in the region of 70-90 mph.
- There are good connections in the West with Blackpool, Chester, Liverpool and the West Coast Main Line.
- There are good connections in the East with Hull, Newcastle, York and the East Coast Main Line.
- Some connecting routes like the East and West Coast Main Lines are electrified 125 mph routes, but others like the connections to Chester, Hull and Scarborough are slower diesel routes.
- Some electrified routes like Liverpool to Manchester via Chat Moss, although they are electrified need speed improvements.
- The four major cities served by the three cross-Pennine routes; Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield all Have sizeable local tram or rail services.
If all these routes could be improved, they would create a core network of cross-Pennine routes.
There is also two other secondary routes that could be improved or created as diversion routes, whilst work is carried out on the main routes.
- A conductor pointed out to me, that passenger trains can go between Blackburn and Leeds via the Ribble Valley Line and Skipton with a reverse at Hellifield station.
- And then there’s the reopening of the route between Sklipton and Colne, which appears to be top of a lot of politicians and train companies lists.
Surely, these could be used to provide extra capacity if one of the Calder Valley or Huddersfield Lines was closed for improvement.
Some suggestions, I’ve seen about the Skipton to Colne Line, even say it could be used for freight.
I believe that with some measure of careful planning, the number of train paths across the Pennines can be increased, to an extend that would ease the improvement of the three main routes.
The Project Has A High Degree Of Difficulty and Complexity
The biggest upgrades of a UK railway in my time has been the electrification of these three main lines from London.
- West Coast Main Line, which was modernised and electrified by British Rail in the 1960s and 1970s.
- East Coast Main Line, which was electrified by British Rail in the 1980s.
- Great Western Main Line, which has been undergoing a tortuous and expensive upgrade and electrification for several years.
So how did Network Rail mess up on the Great Western, when British Rail completed the other lines without massive amounts of trouble?
Various reasons have been put forward, but I believe it has a lot ot do with the change of attitudes on the public’s behalf and new regulations in the intervening forty years.
As an example consider the electrification of the Grade II* Listed Digswell Viaduct in the 1970s. British Rail just did it and I don’t even know, if there were any objections.
Today, the Heritage lobby and various other pressure groups, would have had a field day. In the 1970s, most people accepted that the Government and Bitish Rail knew best.
Forty years ago, passengers accepted the disruption caused by works on the railways. Now they don’t and there are millions more regular travellers to complain.
Upgrading the main routes across the North have a lot of problems that will rear their ugly heads as the routes are upgraded.
- Many of the routes are double-track lines hemmed in by cuttings, villages and towns.
- There are large numbers of bridges, viaducts and level crossings on the routes.
- Many of the routes have speed limits around 80 mph.
- How good is the documentation of the routes?
- Sitting in the middle of the routes is the Grade I Listed Huddersfield station and the Grade II Listed Hebden Bridge station.
To see the problem of these lines take the following trains.
- Blackburn to Hebden Bridge
- Hebden Bridge to Leeds
- Leeds to Huddersfield
- Huddersfield to Manchester Airport.
Take a break at the three intermediate stations.
- Hebden Bridge station is a gem of a Victorian station.
- Leeds is a modern station overflowing with passengers.
- Huddersfield station is one of the North’s great buildings.
In addition, note the number of arched stone bridges, that are probably not high enough for electrification.
To upgrade and electrify these lines is not the simpler project of say electrifying the Midland Main Line, where much of the route is in flat open country.
Throw Every Possible Proven Technique At The TransPennine Improvement
If ever there was a project, where one method doesn’t fit all, then this is that project.
Every sub-project of the work must be done in the best way for that sub-project.
Decisions must also be taken early, about factors that will influence the overall project.
I believe that Crossrail and the new South Wales Metro were designed using an holistic approach.
- New trains have been designed in conjunction with the route.
- Electrification has been simplified by innovations, like batteries on the trains.
- Trains and platforms will fit each other.
- Station design has evolved for efficient train operation.
- Signalling will be digital to allow higher frequencies.
Because of the complexity and importance of the overall TransPennine project, only the best solutions will do!
Some will definitely not be invented here!
A few of my thoughts follow!
A Rolling Programme Of Improvements
This would be a good idea, as improvements can be done in what is the best order for all the stakeholders.
For instance there might be a bridge that will need to be replaced because it is too low and/or structurally, it is approaching the end of its life.
- But it will cause massive disruption to replace.
- On the other hand once replaced it might cut perhaps ten minutes from journeys passing through, as the track can be straightened.
Perhaps it will be better to bite the bullet and get this project done early? In the past, I feel Network Rail has often delayed tackling difficult projects. But if they did a good on-time job, it might help to convince people, that they mean what they say in future.
Improving The Tracks
I said earlier, that Chris Grayling wrote this.
The key to delivering improved journey times on what is a very circuitous route through the Pennines involves rebuilding and relaying most of the track bed from Manchester to York.
No building, no matter how humble or grand can be built without sound foundations.
What Chris Grayling said would be a good way to start the project.
It would give the following benefits.
- Operating speeds might be raised in places.
- Important loops and crossovers, that have been needed for decades could be added.
- Structures like bridges, past their useful life could be replaced.
- Some level crossings could be removed.
If it were done thoroughly, passengers would see reduced journey times.
The new rolling stock that is already on order for the route would be able to work the various TransPennine routes when they are delivered.
At the end of the work, Network Rail would also have a fully-surveyed railway in tip-top condition.
Electrification
It is my belief that to electrify a new or well-surveyed rebuilt existing railway, is much easier than electrifying an existing route.
If parts of the improved route are to be electrified, it would be like electrifying a new railway.
These points should be noted.
- Old mine workings and other Victorian horrors were found, when trying to electrify through Bolton.
- On the Gospel Oak to Barking Line in North London, they found an undocumented sewer.
- To sort out the electrification between Preston and Blackpool, Network Rail shut the route and rebuilt the railway before electrifying it.
A similar approach to Preston and Blackpool might help on sections of the main TransPennine routes.
It may be a more expensive process with all the surveying and rebuilding, but it would appear to a more safety-first approach.
The Stone Bridges And Discontinuous Electrification
I’d be very interested to know how many of those bridges could be handled using discontinuous electrification.
The wires go through the bridge in the normal way, but the section under the bridge that possibly could be a safety hazard, is earthed so that there is a dead section of wire.
The section is insulated from the 25 KVAC wires on either side by something like a ceramic rod, so that the trains’ pantographs can ride through easily under the bridge.
The disadvantage is the trains need batteries for power, where there is none coming from the overhead wire.
The technique has already been earmarked for the electrification of the South Wales Metro.
Tunnel Electrification
Crossrail and the Severn Tunnel do not use conventional electrification. A rail is fixed in the roof and the pantograph runs on the rail.
The TransPennine routes have numerous tunnels and I believe that many could be electrified in this way.
It might even be possible to automate the process, as it was in the Crossrail tunnels. But they were modern concrete tunnels, not Victorian ones with uneven surfaces.
On the other hand there are a lot of old tunnels in the UK, that need to be electrified.
Viaduct Electrification
This picture shows Bank Top Viaduct in Burnley
I can’t understand why, viaducts like these aren’t electrified using a third-rail.
- Third rail electrification works for most applications as well as overhead.
- Working on overhead electrification on a viaduct, is not a job for some.
- There is no visual intrusion with third rail.
- The power could only be switched on, when a train is connected.
On the other hand dual-voltage trains, that could switch quickly between systems at line speed would be needed.
Station Electrification
I also think that third-rail electrification can be used in stations where overhead electrification would be difficult or intrusive.
Battery,Bi-Mode And Hydrogen Trains
Train manufacturers are not stupid and want to increase their profits.
- Alstom are developing fleets of hydrogen trains.
- Bombardier are developing 125 mph bi-mode trains with batteries.
- CAF are developing battery and bi-mode trains.
- Stadler are developing trains with batteries and/or diesel power.
I suspect all these companies and others, see more trains can be sold, if innovative trains can run without the necessity of full electrification.
I also suspect many rail operators would prefer to spend money on shiny new trains, than on disruptive and ugly electrification.
Remember too, that batteries will improve.
Conclusion
I can see several techniques that could be applied to make electrification of some parts of the TransPennine routes.
Business Case Requested For Middlewich Reopening
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
The Northwich to Sandbach Line provides a link between Northwich station on the Mid-Cheshire Line and Sandbach station on the Crewe-Manchester Line.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Mid-Cheshire Line, this is said under Reopening The Northwich To Sandbach Line To Passenger Trains.
This would allow a direct train service from places on the line to Crewe, which will should reduce journey times to destinations south of Chester, as well as reducing fares to those destinations. It would also allow the former station at Middlewich to re-open, and the possibility of a new station opening at Rudheath. An independent feasibility report found the Benefit to Cost Ratio for the reopening to be 5:1, which is almost four times higher than the recently reopened Borders railway in Scotland
5:1 sounds like a good financial case.
The Rail Magazine article also has this quote from Chris Grayling.
There are two routes in the North that I feel particularly keen to look at seriously reopening. One is the line from Skipton to Colne, the other is the line that passes through Middlewich that, in my view, should be a commuter railway into Manchester.
There is also the question as to whether the Northwich to Sandbach Line should be electrified.
But at 8.5 miles, I suspect that it will be an ideal line for a battery train, if both of the lines it connects, are electrified.
- The Crewe-Manchester Line was electrified in 1959.
- Electrification of the Mid-Cheshire Line has a high priority.
In addition, the Crewe-Chester Line could be electrified to allow Chester to have direct electric trains from London and Manchester.
It was good to see that Chris Grayling also endorsed Skipton to Colne.
The Anonymous Widower 