Eurostar Orders First Double-Decker Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar has revealed plans to run double-decker trains through the Channel Tunnel for the first time.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The cross-channel rail operator has confirmed it will order up to 50 trains from manufacturer Alstom, eventually increasing the size of its fleet by nearly a third.
The expansion plans would include investing heavily in a crucial London depot, it said.
But questions remain over whether the facility has enough space for both Eurostar and potential rival operators to use it.
This my solution to the problem outlined in the last paragraph.
Note, that I wrote the software that planned the building of the Channel Tunnel and the rail links to London and was also friends with the project manager of the 1960s attempt to build a Channel Tunnel.
We need more terminal platforms and depot space in the UK to handle Eurostar’s extra trains and the other companies who want to run to London.
We should split services into two groups.
Group 1 would terminate as now in an updated St. Pancras with more passenger handling capacity, which could probably be built over the tracks at the Northern end of the station. Trains would still be stabled at Temple Mills.
Group 2 would terminate at Ebbsfleet International, which would have extra platforms, a new depot, masses of car parking and a coach terminal.
Some trains from both groups could also stop at Ashford International.
To access Ebbsfleet from Central London and also create a Heathrow link to the Channel Tunnel, the Lizzie Line would be extended to Northfleet, where there is space to handle up to eight trains per hour in new platforms built in two disused sidings.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the location of Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Note.
- Ebbsfleet International station at the bottom of the map.
- The red tracks are High Speed One.
- The orange tracks are third-rail electrified lines.
- The orange tracks going across the map is the North Kent Line.
- Northfleet station is at the right edge of the map on the North Kent Line.
- Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations are less than a kilometer apart.
- Ebbsfleet has a lot of car parking spaces.
I believe a spectacular cable-car or other link would connect Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
These are some other thoughts.
Ebbsfleet International Station Has Good Motorway Access
This Google Map shows the location of Ebbsfleet International station in relation to the motorways.
Note.
- The A2/M2 road runs across the bottom half of the map.
- The red arrow marks the position of Ebbsfleet International station.
- The Dartford Crossing is a few miles West of the station.
In my last few years, as an Ipswich season ticket holder, I regularly had a lift to Ebbsfleet International from a friend and the route to the station from the M25 and the A2/M2 wasn’t bad.
But it will be getting better.
This map from the Government’s consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing, shows the road layout in a few years.
Note.
- The Lower Thames Crossing is shown in red.
- Ebbsfleet International station is about a mile South of Northfleet
- The new crossing will connect to the A2, a few miles East of the link road to the station.
Travellers from much of the East of and Middle England could use the new crossing to get to Ebbsfleet International station.
These are current times from Google.
- Birmingham – 2 hours and 41 minutes
- Cambridge – 1 hour and 17 minutes
- Edinburgh – 7 hours and 44 minutes
- Fishguard – 5 hours and 29 minutes
- Glasgow – 7 hours and 6 minutes
- Holyhead – 5 hours and 29 minutes
- Hull – 4 hours and 1 minute
- Ipswich – 1 hour and 29 minutes
- Leeds – 3 hours and 55 minutes
- Liverpool – 4 hours and 40 minutes
- Manchester – 4 hours and 28 minutes
- Milton Keynes – 1 hour and 37 minutes
- Newcastle 5 hours and 25 minutes
- Norwich – 2 hours 23 minutes
- Nottingham – 2 hours and 55 minutes
- Peterborough – 1 hour and 54 minutes
- Sheffield – 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Stoke-on-Trent – 3 hours and 25 minutes
- York – 4 hours and 16 minutes
Note.
- I would suspect that the opening of the Lower Thames Crossing will knock 10-15 minutes off these times.
- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Peterborough, Sheffield and York would probably be quicker to Europe with a change to Continental train services at St. Pancras, rather than Ebbsfleet International.
- With improvements to rail services, more of these journeys will be quicker by train.
- High Speed Two should connect Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent to London, by the mid 2030s.
But there are some, who always feel their car is safer in a car park!
Ebbsfleet International Station Has A Large Amount Of Car Parking
This map shows the car parks at Ebbsfleet International station.
Note.
- Some of the parking areas are marked with a P.
- It is easy to pick-up and drop passengers.
- The car parks could be double-decked to add more spaces if needed.
- According to the Ebbsfleet International web site, the station currently has 5225 parking spaces, 68 accessible car parking spaces.
For those that have a lot of luggage or a large family, taking the car to Ebbsfleet International may be the best option.
Ebbsfleet International Station Should Have A Coach Station
Consider.
- In the next few years, hydrogen-powered coaches with a thousand kilometre range will come to dominate the long distance coach market.
- Mercedes and Wrightbus are know to be developing long-distance hydrogen-powered coaches.
- Hydrogen-powered coaches will be able to reach all of England and Wales and a large part of Scotland from Ebbsfleet International.
- Ebbsfleet International is closely connected to the UK motorway network.
- Continental coaches using the Channel Tunnel, could use Ebbsfleet as a coach interchange with the UK.
- Ebbsfleet International could also handle customs services for Continental coach services, which would take the pressure off the Channel Tunnel and the ferries.
- Ebbsfleet International could also have a coach link to Gatwick Airport.
These and other reasons make me feel, that a coach terminal at Ebbsfleet International is essential.
A Green Connection Between The Two Halves Of The European Union For the Gretas Of This World
Consider.
- There is no zero-carbon route between the island of Ireland and Continental Europe.
- Eurostar is all-electric between London and Continental Europe, but only serves a limited number of destinations.
- Low- or zero-carbon ferries are being designed, that run on hydrogen.
- Trains between London and the Irish ferries are diesel-powered.
- The simplest solution would surely be to run hydrogen-powered coaches between Ebbsfleet International and Fishguard and/or Holyhead. Both journeys would take three and a half hours.
Hydrogen-powered coaches are under development by Wrightbus.
I also asked Google AI if anybody is planning zero-carbon ferries between the UK and ireland and received this answer.
Yes, there are plans for zero-carbon ferries between the UK and Ireland, with a specific “Green Corridor” feasibility study underway for the Holyhead to Dublin route, and a separate, separate commuter service project planned between Belfast and Bangor. The Belfast Maritime Consortium is developing the zero-carbon commuter service, and a separate “Green Corridor” feasibility study is assessing potential low-carbon pathways between Holyhead and Dublin
I believe the green connection is feasible, provided the following happens.
- Ebbsfleet International is reopened and developed as a station for Continental Europe.
- The zero-carbon ferries are developed.
- The busmasters from Ballymena deliver the ultimate hydrogen-powered coach.
- Hydrogen and other fuels are made available, where they is needed.
This could do wonders for the economy of the island of Ireland.
Out of curiosity, I did ask Google AI, what is the longest coach route in the UK and received this answer.
The longest scheduled coach journey in the UK is the Scottish Citylink route from Glasgow to Uig on the Isle of Skye (route 915 or 916), which is about 230 miles and takes around 7 hours and 50 minutes. Historically, there have been much longer international bus routes, such as the Penn Overland tour from London to Ceylon, but these were not regular, scheduled services.
So my proposal at five hours and 29 minutes is only a short hop.
I also believe that with good project management that the additional infrastructure could be built by 2030, with little or no disruption to existing services.
Uber Partners With Gemini For Channel Tunnel Train Plan
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These two introductory paragraphs give more details.
Ridesharing app company Uber has announced a co-branding partnership with Gemini Trains, which is developing plans to launch open access passenger services through the Channel Tunnel.
Gemini plans to purchase 10-newly designed trains to offer ‘comfortable high-quality and frequent’ services with competitive fares, running from London Stratford International station – which has never been used for international services – to Paris Nord and Brussels Midi. All trains would call at Ebbsfleet International, which Eurostar no longer serves. Gemini also plans to expand services to ‘further exciting European destinations’, suggesting that Paris and Brussels are ‘just the start’.
It looks like Gemini Trains will run the trains and Uber will help with marketing, publicity and ticket sales.
Connecting Reading And The West To Gatwick Airport And Eurostar
I have just checked the electrification between Reading and Ashford International using OpenRailwayMap.
- Between Cardiff and Reading the electrification is 25 KVAC overhead.
- Between Reading and Wokingham the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.
- Between Wokingham and Reigate is not electrified.
- Between Reigate and Gatwick Airport the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.
- Between Gatwick Airport and Ashford International the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.
Only 37.7 miles is not electrified.
Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Trains, have a range on battery power of seventy kilometres or forty-five miles, so these trains could go between Reading or any station to the West to any station on the North Downs Line, including Guildford, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Tonbridge and Ashford International stations.
The trains would need to be dual voltage and I’m fairly sure, that no new infrastructure would be needed.
A Green No-Fly Route Between Europe And Ireland
Consider.
- The Great Western Main Line is electrified to Cardiff.
- There is no electrification to the West of Cardiff.
- Cardiff and Fishguard Hsrbour is 115.6 miles.
- There is a ferry between Fishguard and Rosslare.
I suspect Hitachi could configure one of their Intercity Battery Trains, that could connect Ashford International and Fishguard Harbour stations.
Paris – Berlin Direct High Speed Train Service Launched
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Railway Gazette.
This was the sub-heading.
A daily high speed train service linking Paris Est and Berlin Hbf was launched on December 16.
These four paragraphs outline a few details of the service.
It is operated through the Alleo partnership of SNCF Voyageurs and DB, with both French and German onboard staff and using DB Class 407 Velaro D trainsets built by Siemens Mobility.
The journey time is just over 8 h, using high speed lines from Paris to Strasbourg and from Frankfurt to Berlin, and calling at Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt Süd and Berlin-Spandau.
The service is targeted at both leisure and business travellers, with the operators highlighting the environmental benefits of the rail journey producing 2 kg of CO2, compared to 200 kg when flying.
Fares start at €59·99 in standard class and €69·99 in first.
Those prices seem good value.
I have just looked up going on the direct trains from Paris to Berlin on 19th Feb and coming back on the 21st.
These were the two trains.
- Paris Est – Berlin HBf 19th Feb – 09:55-18:03 – 8:08 – £52:00
- Berlin HBf – Paris Est 21st Feb – 11:54 – 20:00 – 8:06 – £86:50
Note.
- Why is it cheaper to go to the East?
- The Berlin HBf – Paris Est should allow you to catch a late Eurostar to London.
- easyJet could get you fast and affordably between Gatwick and Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
- Lumo can get you between London and Edinburgh for under £25:00.
New train services are opening up interesting trips.
Consider.
- I’ve not been to Berlin by train except from the East.
- I’ve not been to the new Brandenburg Airport.
- I’ve not done an eight-hour East-West daytime train trip across Europe.
- I want to look at Karlruhe and Chemnitz, and their new tram-trains.
I might organise my trip like this.
- Eurostar from London to Brussels
- Train from Brussels to Karlsruhe
- Overnight in Karlsruhe
- Train from Karlsruhe to Chemnitz
- Overnight in Chemnitz
- Train from Chemnitz to Berlin
- Overnight in Berlin
- Train from Berlin to Paris
- Walk between Paris Est and Paris Nord
- Eurostar from Paris to London
Note.
- I’ve done London to Karlsruhe in a day via Brussels.
- There will be three nights in hotels.
- It should be possible to do Berlin and London via Paris in a day.
I think I’ll at least plan it.
The Ultimate Open Access Service
London and Windermere are 223 miles away by train with a single change at Oxenholme Lake District.
In a straight line the distance between Amsterdam and Hamburg is 227 miles.
I’ve done both journeys by train and the continental journey was a pain.
- In From Amsterdam To Hamburg The Hard Way, I describe a typical journey between the two cities.
- In From Hamburg To Osnabruck By Train, I describe how I only got halfway.
I’ve also tried splitting the route at Groningen.
- The first leg was a train to Groningen, where I spent the night.
- I spent the second day exploring and wrote about my experiences in The Train Station At The Northern End Of The Netherlands.
- On the third day, I started by going between Groningen and Leer in Germany.
- This section of the route at present is under repair after a ship destroyed the swing bridge over the River Ems.
- I describe its rebuilding in From Groningen To Leer By Train.
Once at Leer, you’re on the German main line and the route is electrified all the way to Bremen and Hamburg.
I believe that the route would be within the scope of a battery-electric high speed train, such as both Hitachi and Siemens are developing.
Some thoughts on the route.
The Competition
The trains need a change at Osnabruck to go between Amsterdam and Hamburg.
I suspect many travellers fly, as there are thirty-nine flights per week.
The service could be better.
Why Would I Run It As An Open Access Route?
Consider.
- If what I have experienced on the current Amsterdam and Hamburg via Osnabruckservice, then surely an experienced open access operator using trains designed for the route could do much better.
- This service could be run almost as a shuttle between two terminal stations. Several open access services like Hull Trains, Lumo and Grand Central are run this way.
- If a government service fails, governments get the blame, but if an open access service fails, the government gets no blame.
So would some governments, prefer open access operators to take the risk?
Would Any New Infrastructure Be Needed?
Very little if any!
Although, I do feel, that some of the level crossings and bridges could be improved or removed.
Where Is The Route Not Electrified?
The section without electrification is at the Dutch end.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around Groningen station.
Note.
- Lines in black are not electrified.
- Lines in blue are electrified at 1.5 KVDC overhead.
- The mass of blue lines is Groningen station.
- Hamburg is to the East.
- Eemshaven us to the North.
- Harbinger is to the West.
Amsterdam trains use the electrified lines to the East.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows a wider view of the lines around Groningen.
Note.
- Lines in black are not electrified.
- Lines in blue are electrified at 1.5 KVDC overhead.
- Groningen is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Trains between Groningen and Amsterdam use the electrified line to the South via Zwolle.
- Trains between Groningen and Bremen and Hamburg use the unelectrified line to the East.
- There is a single track chord, that would allow trains to go between Amsterdam and Germany.
I suspect that a battery-electric high speed train could be fully recharged before leaving Groningen for Germany.
This third OpenRailwayMap shows between the chord to the East of Groningen and the German railway system at Leer.
Note.
- Lines in black are not electrified.
- Lines in blue are electrified at 1.5 KVDC overhead.
- Lines in green are electrified at 15 KVAC overhead.
- Groningen is off the Western side of the map.
- The chord connecting the Amsterdam and German lines from Groningen can be picked out.
- The unelectrified line East from Groningen seems to end in the middle of nowhere.
- The green lines in the East of the map are the electrified German railway system.
- Leer station, which is indicated by the tangle of lines in the North-East cornet of the map, has services to Bremen and Hamburg.
This forth OpenRailwayMap shows the Dutch and German railways at Leer.
Note.
- Lines in black are not electrified.
- Lines in green are electrified at 15 KVAC overhead.
- Leer station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The green lines in the East of the map are the electrified German railway system.
- The River Ems runs down the middle of the map.
The unelectrified line East from Groningen seems to link up with the German railway system.
It used to link up until a German freighter called the Emsmoon demolished the Freisenbrücke over the River Ems.
In From Groningen To Leer By Train, I link to two videos and give the history of the accident.
The Freisenbrücke should be rebuilt in the next few months.
It looks like less than fifty miles of the route between Groningen and Leer is not electrified.
As all the other sections of Amsterdam and Hamburg are electrified, a battery-electric train with a range of less than fifty miles would be needed,
But the train would need to be compatible with both the Dutch and German electrification systems.
What Mode Of Trains Would Be Needed?
Trains would need three methods of operation.
- Using 15 KVAC overhead.
- Using 1.5 KVDC overhead.
- On battery power.
Batteries would be charged using regenerative braking or overhead wires, where they exist.
Lumo’s recently ordered Hitachi trains will probably work the same way.
Conclusion
This could be an open access service that could work.
Could An Open Access Operator Develop A Train Service Along The South Coast of The UK Between Kent and Fishguard?
Before I go into detail, I will answer a question that explains the terminology and the why’s and wherefores’ of the title of this post.
What Is An Open Access Operator?
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry of an Open Access Operator.
In rail transport, an open-access operator is an operator that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and, in countries where rail services run under franchises, are not subject to franchising.
In the UK, these are all open access operators, that are running services.
Note.
- Other groups are developing services.
- Regional, High Speed, International, Local and Sleeper services seem to be offered by various open access operators.
- Grand Central is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn,
- Hull Trains and Lumo are both subsidiaries of FirstGroup.
Open Access operators seem to operate in most European Union countries.
Why Run Between Kent and Fishguard?
- The main purpose of the train service would be to provide a low-cost rail connection between the island of Ireland and particularly the Republic of Ireland, with the Southern part of England and the European Union.
- At both ends of the route the train service would connect to ferries.
- At the Eastern end, the train service would also connect to Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel.
- The Port of Dover could be efficiently connected to Dover Priory Station.
- Dover Priory Station could be the Eastern terminus.
- The service could stop at Folkestone Central station, if ferries call at the Port of Folkestone in the future.
- The service could stop at Ashford International station for Eurostar services.
- Fishguard Harbour station has been built as a train terminus for the Port of Fishguard.
- Fishguard Harbour station could be the Western terminus.
This could be a busy service.
Where Would The Trains Call?
Intermediate stations would depend on passenger umbers, but could start as Folkestone Central, Ashford International, Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Portsmouth & Southsea, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Gowerton, Llanelli and Carmarthen.
How Long Would The Journey Be?
The journey would be around 377 miles and I suspect could take about three and a half hours with modern digital signalling.
Surprisingly, the route is fully-electrified except for the following.
- Ashford International and Ore – 27.9 miles
- Southampton Central and Bristol Parkway – 82 miles
- Cardiff Central and Fishguard Harbour – 115.6 miles
All gaps should be able to be bridged using battery power.
I suspect trains would be Hitachi high speed battery-electric trains.
Would Any European Funding Be Available?
This is an interesting question, as the service does join up two separate sections of the European Union.
Why The Elizabeth Line Must Be Extended To Ebbsfleet International
There are various plans to link the Elizabeth Line to Ebbsfleet International.
In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I showed this map from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation.
There doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million.
The Elizabeth Line connects to the following.
- Bond Street
- Canary Wharf
- City of London
- Farringdon for Thameslink
- Heathrow Airport
- Old Oak Common for High Speed Two
- Liverpool Street station
- Oxford Street
- Paddington station
- Slough for Windsor
- Tottenham Court Road for the British Museum, Oxford Street, Soho, Theatreland and the Underground.
- West End of London
- Whitechapel for the Overground and Underground
For many people like me, the Elizabeth Line at Ebbsfleet will provide one of the quickest ways to get to and from European trains.
High Speed Two Services
This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.
Note.
- Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
- Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
- Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
- The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
- In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
- Was Lancaster chosen as it’s close to the new Eden Project Morecambe?
Click on the diagram to enlarge it.
Destinations served by the current foreshortened High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite will be.
- Birmingham Curzon Street
- Birmingham Interchange
- Carlisle
- Carstairs
- Crewe
- Edinburgh Haymarket
- Edinburgh Waverley
- Glasgow Central
- Lancaster
- Liverpool Lime Street
- Lockerbie
- Macclesfield
- Manchester Airport
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Motherwell
- Oxenholme
- Penrith
- Preston
- Runcorn
- Stafford
- Srockport
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Warrington Bank Quay
- Wigan North Western
- Wilmslow
That is twenty-five stations.
I would add these extra stations.
- Bangor
- Blackpool
- Chester
- Holyhead
- Llandudno Junction
- Wrexham
Note.
- These extra six stations would make High Speed Two, a line for more of the people.
- Because the Eastern leg is cancelled, the paths that would have served that leg can be used to provide services for the West of the country.
The East of the country could be served by updating the East Coast Main Line.
The Development Of Eurostar
Consider.
- Eurostar and Thalys have now merged and I can see them providing extra direct services between London and Europe.
- Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt and Geneva have been mentioned as possible destinations.
- Most of the new destinations, will be served by extending current services from Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris appropriately.
But to cope with the extra numbers of passengers, there will have to be extra passenger capacity at St. Pancras and/or Ebbsfleet International.
High Speed Two And Continental Services
Currently, if you want to go from the North of England or Scotland to the Continent, you do one of the following.
- Take a train to King’s Cross and walk across to St. Pancras International.
- Take a train to St. Pancras and walk to the International section of the station.
- Take a train to Euston and walk or take a bus, taxi or Underground to St. Pancras International.
Note.
- Passengers from North Wales take the Euston route.
- Some passengers will take an Elizabeth Line train to Farringdon and then take Thameslink to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Paddington on Heathrow Express will probably take a taxi to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Paddington on a budget will probably take the Underground to St. Pancras International.
For Londoners and those travellers, who know London well, the routes to St. Pancras International, are not to bad but they could be better.
If the current foreshortened High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite finishes at Old Oak Common station, passengers will have to use the following routes for their onward journey.
- Elizabeth Line
- Great Western Railway – local services.
- Heathrow Express
- North London Line of the London Overground, or whatever the Mayor at the time calls it.
If the full High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite finishes at Euston station, passengers will have to use the following routes for their onward journey.
- Avanti West Coast
- Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines
- London North Western – local services
- Northern Line
- Victoria Line
- Watford DC Line of the London Overground, or whatever the Mayor at the time calls it.
These routes will be in addition to those at Old Oak Common station.
There will be two routes between High Speed Two and St. Pancras International station.
- Passengers arriving at Old Oak Common will take an Elizabeth Line train to Farringdon and then take Thameslink to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Euston will walk or take a bus, taxi or Underground to St. Pancras International.
I am not sure that either route will have enough capacity, if High Speed Two attracts a large number of passengers.
Extend High Speed Two To Euston
I believe that this is essential, as it improves the connectivity greatly, at the bottom end of High Speed Two, as several Underground Lines will be connected to High Speed Two.
Extend The Elizabeth Line from Old Oak Common To Ebbsfleet International
I believe this too is essential, as it gives the North of England and Scotland, the connection to the Continent that they need.
There could be cross-platform connections at both Old Oak Common and Ebbsfleet International between the Elizabeth Line and the high speed lines.
Conclusion
Politicians should stop the dithering and act to give the UK, the rail connection it needs up and down the country and to the Continent.
Eurostar Cancels All Today’s Trains After Tunnel Floods
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar has cancelled all of Saturday’s services to and from London St Pancras due to flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames, throwing new year travel into chaos.
These are the first two paragraphs.
This morning, Eurostar said it hoped later services could run but it has now cancelled all 41 trains.
All Southeastern’s high-speed services to Ebbsfleet, which use the same line, have also been cancelled.
I know the tunnel shouldn’t flood, but Eurostar don’t seem to have an adequate emergency plan to keep things moving, when it does.
The plan would obvious depend on where and what the problem was, but if something goes wrong at the London end of High Speed One, then surely the remaining infrastructure should be used to run an emergency service.
With flooding in the tunnel between Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International, trains could only run as far as Ebbsfleet, but surely an hourly shuttle could be run between Ebbsfleet and both Brussels and Paris.
The problem would surely be getting travellers between St. Pancras and Ebbsfleet International.
- There can be no trains between Central London and Ebbsfleet International, as the tunnel is flooded and can’t be used.
- Rail replacement buses would be difficult to organise at such short notice.
- I doubt rail replacement buses could be run from St. Pancras station, as traffic is generally solid in the area of the station at all times.
The nearest station to Ebbsfleet International is Northfleet station, which has four trains per hour (tph) to and from London; two each to St. Pancras and Charing Cross.
I have walked between Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet stations, but in times of disruption, I’m sure buses operating a shuttle would be better.
The Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station, explains, why the pedestrian link has not been built, in this paragraph.
The station is very close to Ebbsfleet International station (the NNE entrance is only 334 yards (305 m) from Northfleet’s station), but passengers (using public transport) will find it far easier to access Ebbsfleet International from Gravesend or Greenhithe, as these stations are more accessible and offer easy access to Fastrack bus services. The walking route between the two stations is 0.6 miles (1 km) or 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and a suitable pedestrian link has not been built because of funding issues and objections from Land Securities.
Perhaps after the pantomime this Christmas, the connection will be improved.
So4’s Law will probably mean, that if it is built, it will only be used by travellers and those working at Ebbsfleet International station for whom it is more convenient.
Could Extra Passenger-Handling Capacity Be Added At St. Pancras International Station?
This article in Railway Gazette International, which is entitled Start-Up Announces Amsterdam To London And Paris High Speed Train Ambitions, has this opening paragraph.
A proposal to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris has been announced by Dutch start-up Heuro, while Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is also reported to be looking at competing with Eurostar on cross-Channel routes.
This other paragraph also gives more details of Branson’s plans.
Heuro’s announcement comes after Spanish start-up Evolyn announced plans in October for a Paris – London service, while on November 11 British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Richard Branson and Phil Whittingham, former head of Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast, were also drawing up plans to compete with Eurostar and had held discussions with infrastructure managers.
As in the past, German and Italian rail companies have expressed interest in running services to London, I don’t think it will be long before capacity at St. Pancras International will need to be increased.
There are six International platforms at St. Pancras International station and as it generally accepted that one well-managed platform can handle four trains per hour (tph), this means that the station has a theoretical limit of twenty-four tph.
Currently, services into St. Pancras International include.
- Up to 19 trains per day between London and Paris.
- Up to 10 trains per day between London and Brussels.
- One train per day between London and Amsterdam.
If we assume that trains can leave between 05:00 and 20:00, that is only about two trains per hour (tph).
There would appear to be plenty of space for the proposed 16 trains per day, that Heuro have said they will run.
My worry is will Customs and Immigration be able to handle all the extra passengers?
This Google Map shows King’s Cross and St. Pancras International stations.
Note.
- St. Pancras International is the station on the left of the V.
- King’s Cross is the station on the right of the V.
- The new corrugated roof covers the Northern ends of the trains in the platforms at St. Pancras.
These pictures show the Northern end of the International and domestic HighSpeed platforms.
Note.
The pictures taken on the platforms were taken from the Southeastern HighSpeed platforms.
The Continental trains appear to be wholly in the dry either under the classic or the new roof.
The noses of the Continental trains appear to peek out from under the new roof by a few inches.
The air space above the platforms to the North of the new roof appears to be unobstructed.
This Google Map shows the Northern ends of the platforms at St. Pancras.
Note.
- The new roof is in the bottom-right of the picture.
- The platforms are numbered 1-13 from left to right.
- Platforms 1-4 are for East Midlands services, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 formation.
- Platforms 5-10 are for Continental services, which are arranged in a 1-2-2-1 formation.
- Platforms 11-13 are for Southeastern HighSpeed services, which are arranges in a 1-1-1 formation.
- Any trains in the station seem to be mainly under cover, although I think a couple of noses are just about visible.
- I am fairly certain, if more passenger-handling capacity were to be needed in the distant future, it could be built above the platforms.
I’ve never seen it said, but did the architects and structural engineers leave this space for future expansion of the station?
- The foundations could have even been designed to support a future vertical extension.
- But at least there is nothing of importance in the space above the exposed Northern ends of the station except a few pigeons.
- With two passenger-handling areas, one could be for departures and the other for arrivals.
- Escalators and lifts could give access to the three wide island platforms for Continental traffic.
Was this station designed to be expanded if required?
I also believe that that much of the work to add any new floors above the platforms could be carried out whilst train services were still running.
Alistair Lansley
According to his Wikipedia entry, the architect of the station was Alistair Lansley, who is not a well-known name or a celebrity architect, but an architect from British Rail’s Architect’s Department, who was also lead architect for Stratford and Ebbsfleet International stations.
So did he leave a space for the extension, that he knew from former experience would be needed?
Could A Mega-Station Be Built For The Channel Tunnel?
This article on Railway Gazette International, is entitled Start-Up Announces Amsterdam To London And Paris High Speed Train Ambitions.
It talks about how Dutch start-up; Heuro wants to run fifteen trains per day (tpg) between London and Amsterdam.
The article then has this paragraph, which details other operators, who are wanting to run services between London and the near Continent.
Heuro’s announcement comes after Spanish start-up Evolyn announced plans in October for a Paris – London service, while on November 11 British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Richard Branson and Phil Whittingham, former head of Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast, were also drawing up plans to compete with Eurostar and had held discussions with infrastructure managers.
This leads me to the conclusion, that there will be a need for more capacity for trains and/or passengers at some time in the future.
- There are six International platforms at St. Panvcras International station, which can each probably handle four trains per hour (tph), so I suspect the station could handle 24 International tph.
- As a modern high speed train can carry over 500 passengers, that is 12000 passengers per hour.
- Visit St. Pancras station in the morning and it is often crammed with travellers coming from and going to Europe.
I suspect that the number of trains may not be a problem, but the number of passengers will.
We could always join Shengen, but then that would be an open door to all the would-be migrants to the UK.
This Google Map shows Stratford International station.
Stratford International station is in a soulless concrete cavern, that lies across the middle of the map.
In Platforms 1 And 4 At Stratford International Station, there are a lot of pictures of the station.
I think it would be extremely difficult to add extra platforms and passenger facilities to the station.
This Google Map shows Ebbsfleet International station.
Note.
- Ebbsfleet International station, with its two International and four domestic platforms is in the middle of the map.
- The station is surrounded by car parks with a total of 5,000 spaces.
- Northfleet station is in the North-East corner of the map.
There is a lot of land, without any buildings on it.
These are my thoughts.
Enough Extra Bay Platforms To Handle The Additional Trains
There would appear to be space for perhaps two bay platforms to terminate trains.
But would passengers we happy being dumped outside Central London?
Would An Elizabeth Line Extension To Ebbsfleet Be Needed?
There are various plans to link the Elizabeth Line tp Ebbsfleet International.
In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I showed this map from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation.
There doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million.
The Elizabeth Line connects to the following.
- Bond Street
- Canary Wharf
- City of London
- Farringdon for Thameslink
- Heathrow Airport
- Old Oak Common for High Speed Two
- Liverpool Street station
- Oxford Street
- Paddington station
- Slough for Windsor
- Tottenham Court Road for the British Museum, Oxford Street, Soho, Theatreland and the Underground.
- West End of London
- Whitechapel for the Overground and Underground
For many people like me, the Elizabeth Line at Ebbsfleet will provide one of the quickest ways to get to and from European trains.
Ebbsfleet Has Space For A Bus Station
A bus station with comprehensive routes could be built at Ebbsfleet station, which I don’t think will be possible at St. Pancras.
It would also be possible to provide an easy route to Gatwick Airport along the M25.
Hotel Accommodation
This is surely necessary.
It would make an ideal base for tourists and business people, who wanted to visit several of the large cities connected to Ebbsfleet.
A Very Large Car Park
Consider.
- Heathrow Airport is looking at providing upwards of 50,000 car parking spaces.
- Some travellers are seriously allergic to public transport and will always use their car.
- Many travellers these days want to take a severely outside case with them, when they’re only having a weekend in Paris.
I feel that a mega-station for Europe will need upwards of 10,000 car parking spaces. All of them with vehicle-to-grid chargers.
A Very Large Storage Battery
According to this page on the E-on web site, the average size of the battery in an electric vehicle is 40 kWh.
If 5,000 car parking spaces were to be fitted with vehicle-to-grid charging (V2G), that would be 2 MWh of energy storage, that could be used by National Grid, to store surplus electricity.
Get V2G right and it could make a serious contribution to your parking costs.
Pictures Of Ebbsfleet Station
These are some pictures I took at Ebbsfleet station today.
Note.
- The station is a fairly boring concrete, glass and steel construction.
- The SouthEastern HighSpeed services also go to St. Pancras, so they don’t offer any different connectivity towards the capital.
In addition, the SouthEastern HighSpeed Class 395 trains aren’t step-free at the platforms, as these pictures shows.
As I came back into St. Pancras International station, staff were struggling to load a wheelchair onto a train using a ramp.
Would A Two-Station Solution Increase Capacity?
High Speed Rail lines have high capacity trains and there are examples of more than one station at the end of a route.
- The London end of High Speed Two will have stations at Old Oak Common and Euston.
- The Manchester end of High Speed Two will have stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- The Edinburgh end of the East Coast Main Line has stations at Waverley and Haymarket.
- The Amsterdam end of Eurostar and Thalys has stations at Rotterdam, Schipol Airport and Amsterdam.
A selection of stations gives choice and convenience for travellers.
Conclusion
I believe that selective development of Ebbsfleet International station could be used to take the pressure away from St. Pancras International station.
These developments could include.
- A comprehensive bus station
- Elizabeth Line to Northfleet
- Hotel Accommodation
- Lots Of Car Parking
The Anonymous Widower 