No Shortcuts In Evia Aero’s Path To Being Europe’s First Green Regional Airline
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on FutureFlight.
This is the first paragraph.
The closer you examine the task of establishing a green airline, the clearer it becomes that it does not begin and end with sourcing net zero carbon aircraft. Evia Aero is a case in point in that while the German start-up has made provisional commitments to a pair of electric aircraft developers, for now, it is more preoccupied with getting a somewhat daunting operational ecosystem in place.
The article is an interesting read and certainly follows this old joke about aviation.
If you want to make a small fortune in aviation, start with a large fortune.
The article is mainly drawn from an interview with the founder of Evia Aero; Florian Kruse and these are some of his thoughts.
On Sustainability
This paragraph talks about a truly sustainable aviation company.
First you have to be sure that you can operate as a truly sustainable aviation company,” Evia Aero founder Florian Kruse told FutureFlight. The Bremen-based venture plans to invest in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy plants at the airports it intends to serve to fulfill its commitment to being self-sufficient in green energy, which could include electricity and hydrogen fuel. The next step will be installing the required refueling and recharging facilities.
I’ll agree with that objective, but is it an affordable commitment?
On An Air Operator Certificate
This paragraph talks about an Air Operator Certificate.
Only when these tasks are well advanced, probably in 2024, will Evia Aero secure the air operator certificate it needs to launch commercial scheduled services in Europe. The company has yet to determine whether it will establish an operation from scratch or acquire an existing AOC holder.
Having seen a friend struggle to get an airline going, I wonder, if existing AOC holders will have an advantage in getting fully certified.
Why Not Start A Traditional Airline And Transition To A Green One?
This was Florian Kruse’s answer.
Some people ask us why we don’t just start operating normal [fossil-fuel-burning] aircraft today and then make a transition [to net zero],But we don’t think that works. The only way to be successful in this is to be green with everything from the start.
But by his choice of the Britten-Norman Islander, Florian is taking a conservative route with a proven small airliner, that has been flown into hundreds, if not thousands, of airfields all over Europe and the wider world.
I suspect too, that a lot of experienced Islander pilots from all over the world, will want to add these aircraft to their log book. So recruitment of top quality pilots will not be a problem!
Refuelling And Maintenance
This is said about refuelling and maintenance.
In this regard, Evia Aero’s strategy isn’t based purely on a sustainability agenda. It views the plans for refueling and maintenance as key parts of its revenue stream.
Does this mean, it will be supplying support services to other operators of zero-carbon aircraft?
It should be remembered that the business model of some companies is based heavily on a business aircraft. Will these companies change their philosophy or change the aircraft?
One company that used business jets to sell construction equipment in the past was JCB. Prospective customers would be flown to the UK for demonstrations at their test site near the factory. GEC also used to use their business jet creatively.
The Eviation Alice, which Evia Aero intend to fly, will also be available in a six-seat business configuration.
I can imagine many companies using zero-carbon business aircraft creatively and to send the right message to customers and green activists, who haven’t been friendly in the past.
Thinking about this, as I type, I think that zero-carbon business aircraft could be a significant sector of the zero-carbon aircraft market. It would also appeal to many politicians, royalty, innovative business me and women and the very rich.
In the case of King Charles, I suspect a six-seat Eviation Alice or similar based at Northolt Airport would cost less to run than the Royal Train.
Pricing
This is said on pricing.
It believes (passengers) will pay a premium to access airfields in locations across northern Europe that are not well served by road and rail links.
I’ll go with that, as many years ago, I needed to go to Stavanger for a day or so from Ipswich. So I flew Air Anglia from Norwich in a Bandeirante, rather than go from Heathrow with a change at Oslo.
Backing And Expertise
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Evia Aero is not without expertise as it seeks to put these building blocks in place. One of its backers, Energiequelle, is involved in a business that owns and operates PV plants in Finland and Germany. Its leadership team also includes Gerd Weber, CEO of regional airline OLT, and the chair of its advisory board is Axel Trampnau, who previously ran the carrier Germania.
That seems reasonably strong.
If Energiequelle live up the mission statement on their web site, they could be particularly useful.
Hydrogen-Powered Islanders
This is said about their purchase of conversion kits for Islanders to be converted to hydrogen power.
Under current plans, the first aircraft in the Evia Aero flight will be nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islanders under a plan being advanced by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) to convert the piston-powered models to hydrogen propulsion. Evia Aero expects these aircraft to be ready to enter service in 2026 and has agreed to buy 15 of the conversion kits.
The Islander may have flown nearly sixty years ago, but nearly 1300 have been built and they are still being manufactured, so there should be plenty available from conversion and spare parts shouldn’t be a problem.
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, is a spin-out of Cranfield University and the article says this about an ongoing project between CAeS and Evia Aero.
In 2022, the new airline signed a wider agreement with CAeS covering a provisional order for 10 hydrogen-powered 19-seat aircraft. The companies have not yet determined whether these would be conversions of existing aircraft or a clean-sheet design. Under the UK’s Project Fresson, CAeS is working on plans for new 19- and 75-seat zero-emissions regional airliners.
CAeS look like another serious contender in the zero-carbon airliner market.
Eviation Alice
This is said about the Eviation Alice.
Evia Aero has signed a memorandum of understanding covering provisional orders for 25 of Eviation’s nine-passenger, all-electric Alice aircraft. It expects to add the first of these to its fleet in 2028, a year after the U.S.-based manufacturer now says it aims to complete type certification, initially with the FAA.
Note.
- Alice is running two years behind the Islander.
- Certifying the Islander should be easier as it is an existing airliner.
I could see the earlier delivery and entry into service of the Islander, being used to develop the business.
Range And Routes
This is said about range and routes.
With either of these aircraft, Evia Aero will be launching its services with the equipment providing a modest payload and range. The Cranfield Islanders will be able to fly up to around 200 kilometers (109 nm), while Eviation last year reduced its range projections from 440 to 250 nm, citing the limitations of current battery technology.
Kruse accepts these limitations, while already laying plans to add subsequent 19-seat aircraft to his fleet. He showed FutureFlight route maps for both aircraft including planned destinations extending along the North Sea and Channel coasts from Denmark through Germany and the Benelux countries and into France and the UK.
- The range isn’t that long.
- It is 629 kilometres between Evia Aero’s base at Bremen and Southend.
- Schiphol is closer at 89 kilometres with Groningen at 147 kilometres.
But the interesting one is Heligoland at 139 kilometres.
Heligoland
This Google Map shows the archipelago.
Note.
- Heligoland is the island in the West.
- Düne is the island in the East.
- You can just pick out the characteristic pattern of Heligoland Airport‘s three concrete runways.
Why would anybody want to go to a rock in the North Sea?
This article on the Guardian, which is entitled Heligoland: Germany’s Hidden Gem In The North Sea, gives lots of reasons, including.
- History.
- It is a regular day trip from the German coast by ship.
- It used to be British.
- It could be at the heart of offshore wind developments.
But for German day-trippers, it’s probably the attraction of the island being duty-free.
It could be a nice little earner for an airline based in Bremen and it would be within the range of the Islanders.
A Pattern Of German Islands
This Google Map shows the German corner of the North Sea.
Note.
- The island of Heligoland at the top of the map.
- Bremen in the South-East corner of the map.
- The string of islands along the German and Dutch coasts.
- The red area marks out the most-Easterly island of Wangerooge.
This Google Map shows Wangerooge in detail.
Flugplatz Wangerooge is in the South-East corner of the map.
- It has an 850 metre asphalt runway.
- The island appears to have a sizeable beach.
- The island has a population of around 1200.
The Wikipedia entry for Wangerooge says this about the character of the island.
In order to guarantee a relaxed atmosphere, cars are prohibited on the island. The island can be reached by ship from Harlesiel, or it can be reached by plane via its airfield, regular service being offered from Harlesiel, Bremen, or Hamburg. The ferries leave at different times every day according to the tide. As on most East Frisian Islands, a small narrow gauge railway line, the Wangerooge Island Railway, connects the harbor to the main village.
The Wikipedia entry, for the Wangerooge Island Railway gives a lot of detail about what looks to be a fascinating railway, including this opening paragraph.
The single track Wangerooge Island Railway (Wangerooger Inselbahn) is an unelectrified narrow gauge railway with a track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) located on the East Frisian island of Wangerooge off the northwestern coast of Germany. It is the most important means of transport on the island and is the only narrow gauge railway operated today by the Deutsche Bahn.
I must visit next time, I go to Hamburg.
Working towards the West the next airfield, I can find is on Langeoog, which is shown in this Google Map.
Flugplatz Langeoog is marked by the blue arrow towards the South-East corner of the map.
Working towards the West the next airfield, I can find is on Nordeney, which is shown on this Google Map.
Flughaven Nordeney is at the bottom of the map.
It has a 1000 metre runway and judging by the planes on the map, it is very busy.
Continuing West brings me to the Eastern end of the island of Juist, which is shown on this Google Map.
Flugplatz Juist is indicated the rightmost blue arrow. This extract from the Wikipedia entry, illustrates the importance of this airfield.
As of 2013, the airfield had up to 500 takeoffs and landings on weekends, the second most aircraft movements in the state of Lower Saxony, after Hannover Airport. The airfield is a critical piece of infrastructure for the island, due to ferry traffic being dependent on the tides.
The airfield was also the first on the East Frisian Islands to have a paved runway
Continuing West brings me to Borkum, which is shown on this Google Map.
Note.
Borkum Airport is in the Eastern half of the map.
- It has a 1000 metre asphalt runway.
- Borkum has a population of around 5000.
On this brief exploration of the German East Frisian Islands, I have been surprised to find five airfields; Borkum, Juist, Langeoog, Nordeney and Wangerooge.
- All seem to have asphalt or concrete runways.
- Were these runways built as part of a plan to improve transport to the islands, as it appears the tides make the ferries a bit variable?
It also appears that the islands are totally or at least partially car-free.
On one island I noticed that the taxis are horse-drawn carriages.
So does this all fit well with the philosophy of Evia Aero of flying zero-carbon aircraft?
I suspect it does.
I also think, that Evia Aero’s thinking has been influenced by recent events in the area, which I talked about in From Groningen To Leer By Train.
- To put it simply, a freighter called the Emsmoon, demolished the Freisenbrücke, which carries the Groningen and Bremen railway over the River Ems.
- Zero-carbon aircraft flying between Groningen and Bremen would be a viable and quicker and more comfortable alternative to the bus I took.
I wonder if Evia Aero are planning a service between Groningen and Bremen.
- Groningen and Bremen is 147 kilometres.
- Islanders can cruise at 240 kph.
- The service could call at the five intermediate airports.
- I would reckon, that the service would take about an hour between Groningen and Bremen.
- The aircraft would be refuelled at Groningen and Bremen.
- I am fairly certain that two planes could run an hourly service.
I also suspect that the ticketing could be run by an app and if there were no passengers wanting to get on or off at an intermediate stop, then the plane would continue to the next stop, which would save fuel. If a passenger missed a plane, there would be only a wait of an hour until the next one.
Get this right and if it proves successful, then extra services could be added, to create a true Turn-Up-And-Go air service.
Landing And Take-Off Performance
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Both the Islander and the Alice offer short takeoff and landing performance that will allow them to get in and out via limited runways in small communities. In the case of the Islander, which has been in service for several decades, it will even be able to operate from grass landing strips.
Every little helps.
Islanders can also use sand runways, as they do at Barra.
Refueling The Islanders
This image of the hydrogen-powered Islander was clipped from the Cranfield Aerospace Solutions’ home page.
Consider.
- Many years ago, I had fun with a farmer friend moving a lot of apples in boxes, that were destined for Aspall Cyder with his forklift. The machine was powered by gas in a cylinder strapped horizontally behind the driver.
- We ran out of gas halfway through and it was a simple matter of disconnecting the bottle and connecting another.
- Drop tanks have been used in military aircraft for almost a hundred years.
- Universal Hydrogen refuels its hydrogen-powered aircraft by changing a fuel capsule.
Look at the above picture and note the two green cylinders under the wings.
- Could they be two hydrogen tanks for the aircraft?
- They appear to have some aerodynamic features. Could this reduce drag, but increase lift?
- Could they be cylinders for the hydrogen fuel?
- If they are fuel cylinders, is it possible for one or two people and/or possibly a special truck to easily swap an empty one for a full one?
Fast refuelling would allow the aircraft to work hard.
Connecting To Major Hubs
My proposed East Frisian Islands service, only connects to Groningen and Bremen on the mainland.
- Schiphol and Groningen Airports are only 93 kilometres apart.
- Bremen and Hamburg Airports are only 103 kilometres apart.
After refuelling, flying on without a change of plane to a major hub would be possible.
Channel Hops
This is said about range.
With either of these aircraft, Evia Aero will be launching its services with the equipment providing a modest payload and range. The Cranfield Islanders will be able to fly up to around 200 kilometers (109 nm), while Eviation last year reduced its range projections from 440 to 250 nm, citing the limitations of current battery technology.
The only hops, I can find less than two hundred kilometres are.
- Calais and Manston – 61 kilometres
- Calais and Lydd – 71 kilometres
- Calais and Southend – 111 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Lydd – 69 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Manston – 94 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Southend – 134 kilometres
- Ostend and Manston – 107 kilometres
- Ostend and Lydd – 138 kilometres
- Ostend and Southend – 210 kilometres
- Cherbourg and Southampton – 147 kilometres
Note.
- Manston and Southend are probably the two best British airports, as they have or will have a rail connection.
- Only Le Touquet has a railway station close to the airport on the European side.
I do suspect, that Eurostar could kill channel-hopping, by adding extra services.
Possible Markets
The methodology developed at Bremen, could probably be applied to other services around Europe and the wider world.
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Evia Aero, which Kruse said is already in talks with as many as 30 regional airports about possible air services, is also eyeing the Nordic countries, the UK’s islands, and parts of southern Germany as target markets. Norway with its mountainous coastline seems a promising early adopter for short flights in net zero aircraft, not least because the country’s government plans to ban conventional aircraft on domestic routes from 2030.
The low noise of the electric aircraft might make them acceptable, where other aircraft have been rejected in the past.
Conclusion
T think Evia Aero plans are sound, but I do wonder whether the freighter trashing the railway got Florian Kruse and his friends thinking.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services
The Two Stratford Stations
In this post, Stratford station is the station handling Greater Anglia and London Overground, Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, with Stratford International station handles High Speed services.
The Elizabeth Line And The Great Western Railway Services
One of the most important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Paddington, where it connects to the London terminus of the Great Western Railway.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to the West and Wales on the Great Western Railway, will be transported to Paddington by the Elizabeth Line.
The Elizabeth Line And Greater Anglia Services
Another of the important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Liverpool Street, where the station is the London terminus of the Greater Anglia.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to East Anglia on the Greater Anglia, will be transported to Liverpool Street by the Elizabeth Line.
Southeastern High Speed One Services
Southeastern runs some High Speed services on High Speed One to provide Kent with an improved service to London.
Current services are
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham.
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.
- London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West.
Note
- All trains are one train per hour (tph).
- All trains stop at Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.
- All trains are run by 140 mph Class 395 trains.
There has also been talk of running a fourth service to Hastings and Eastbourne via Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
St. Pancras Station
All of these trains terminate in three platforms; 11 to 13 at St. Pancras International station.
St. Pancras is not the ideal terminal for the Southeastern High Speed services.
- St. Pancras is not on the Elizabeth Line.
- St.Pancras doesn’t have good connections to Heathrow.
- All connections to the Underground are a long walk.
- Eurostar services are a longer walk.
- East Midland services are also a longer route, with stairs and escalators for good measure.
St. Pancras station was designed by a committee, as a museum to Victorian architecture, rather than as a working station.
Ebbsfleet International Station Must Be The Largest Parkway Station In The UK
It holds nearly five thousand cars and it is served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
Thanet Parkway Station Will Open This Year
Thanet Parkway station is under construction.
- It will have nearly three hundred parking spaces.
- It will be served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
- It should open in May 2023.
This station will need a good connection to London.
Could An Interchange Between The Elizabeth Line And Southeastern High Speed Services Be Provided At Stratford?
Such an alternative interchange would be popular with passengers.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves the West End, the Northern section of the City of London, East London, Liverpool Street, Paddington and the West End directly.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross. Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria with a change at Whitechapel.
- The Central Line, which shares platforms with the Elizabeth Line serves Bank and the West End directly.
- The Overground is easily accessed for travel across North London to Richmond.
- The Jubilee Line is easily accessed for travel to London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.
It would be connected to two large parkway stations and lots of parking all over Kent.
I believe that Stratford must be promoted as an alternative terminus for Southeastern High Speed Services.
Today, I walked both ways between two Stratford stations.
These pictures show the route I took between Stratford and Stratford International stations, through the Eastfield Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I went through the Shopping Centre.
- I passed Marks & Spencer’s large food hall, excellent toilets and a Food Court.
- By the Food Court is an exit that leads to an entrance to Stratford International station.
- The walk took about 10 minutes.
- It was vaguely level.
- Lifts by-passed the escalators.
- One thing that makes the journey to London easier, is to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as the lifts and escalators at Stratford International station, are at that end.
It does need some better signage, but they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so that may already be underway.
It could be a very high quality interchange and it is already better than St. Pancras.
Coming back I took the longer route outside the Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I just turned left out of the entrance, walked along the road and turned right past the bus station.
- If the weather had been colder or wetter, I’d have gone back via the Shopping Centre.
- The walk took about 12 minutes.
I think normally, I’d go back through the Shopping Centre, as there’s a Marks and Spencer Food Hall on the route and it’s slightly quicker and often warmer.
Could Stratford Station Be A London Superhub Station?
When you consider the stations connected to Stratford in London, East Anglia and Kent, it has an excellent collection.
- Airports – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted
- Cities – Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea
- London Main and Terminal Stations – Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, Farringdon, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo
- Major Areas – Canary Wharf, City of London, Hampstead, Olympic Park and West End
- Ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Folkestone and Harwich
You can even get a train to Slough, with a change at Whitechapel.
I would think it already is a London Superhub Station.
Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
These is the first paragraph.
A report looking at transport upgrades across the southeast of England suggests that extending the Elizabeth line into Kent would cost around £3.2 billion. The report, by Transport for the South East (TfSE) also supports the proposal and looks at how it could be funded.
This image from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation, shows the proposal.
Note, that 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.
As the quoted cost is £3.2 billion, I would assume, that installation of digital signalling on the North Kent Line and the trains that use it, is one of the major costs.
I have some thoughts.
Improvement Is Needed
There are endless jokes, which have a punchline something like, “If you want to go to X, I wouldn’t start from here.”
On Monday, I intend to go to visit my friend; Ian, who lives at Longfield in Kent. Abbey Wood is the nearest Elizabeth Line station to Longfield and it is only seventeen miles away from Abbey Wood, but the quickest way you can do it by train is 64 minutes with a change at Rochester or 79 minutes going back into London and coming out from Victoria.
As before, I leave London, I will be having breakfast with another friend in Moorgate, the Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood will be a good place to start.
If I got the trains right, I can get between Moorgate and Northfleet in 41 minutes. Northfleet is just 5.5 miles from Longfield.
If Ian, wants to go to London, he usually drives to Ebbsfleet, where there is lots of parking and gets the Highspeed trains to Stratford or St. Pancras. Trains take 12 and 19 minutes to and from the two London termini, but go nowhere near to Canary Wharf, the City of London, Liverpool Street, Oxford Street, Paddington, West London and Heathrow.
I believe that for Ian and the other nearly million residents of West Kent, that the following should be done as soon as possible.
- Extend the Elizabeth Line to Gravesend, which would give 300,000 more people a local Elizabeth Line station.
- Build a people-mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations, which would create a high-capacity rail hub for North-West Kent, with connections to London, Heathrow and the Continent, and massive parking.
Heathrow and Northfleet would take under an hour and a quarter on a direct train.
Current Services Between Abbey Wood And Gravesend
Currently, these services run at some point on the North Kent Line between Abbey Wood And Gravesend stations.
- Southeastern – London Cannon Street and London Cannon Street – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
- Southeastern – London Cannon Street and Dartford – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Dartford.
- Southeastern – London Charing Cross and Gravesend – 2 tph – Via Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
- Southeastern HighSpeed – London St Pancras and Ramsgate via Faversham – 1 tph – Via Ebbsfleet International and Gravesend.
- Thameslink – Luton and Rainham – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- I have only indicated stations, where trains stop between Abbey Wood and Gravesend stations.
Aggregating these trains gives the following totals for each station.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 4 tph
- Erith – 4 tph
- Slade Green – 6 tph
- Dartford – 6 tph
- Stone Crossing – 4 tph
- Greenhithe – 4 tph
- Swanscombe – 4 tph
- Northfleet – 4 tph
- Gravesend – 5 tph
As stations get at least four tph, with more important ones getting 5 or 6 tph, it appears to be a well-constructed timetable.
Effect Of Changing The London Cannon Street And London Cannon Street From The Erith Loop To A Dartford Service
This should make no difference to the numbers, as the service is now clear of the Elizabeth Line after Slade Green.
Effect Of Cutting Back The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service To Dartford
This service between London Charing Cross and Gravesend has a frequency of 2 tph and calls at Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
Cutting it back to Dartford adjusts the totals as follows.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 4 tph
- Erith – 4 tph
- Slade Green – 6 tph
- Dartford – 4 tph
- Stone Crossing – 2 tph
- Greenhithe – 2 tph
- Swanscombe – 2 tph
- Northfleet – 2 tph
- Gravesend – 3 tph
Some of the frequencies have halved.
Effect Of Adding Eight tph To Northfleet And Four tph To Gravesend On The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service
The Elizabeth Line Extension is proposed to add the following trains to the service.
- 8 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Northfleet.
- 4 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Gravesend.
This adjusts the totals as follows.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 12 tph
- Erith – 12 tph
- Slade Green – 14 tph
- Dartford – 12 tph
- Stone Crossing – 10 tph
- Greenhithe – 10 tph
- Swanscombe – 10 tph
- Northfleet – 10 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 6 tph – Passing through)
- Gravesend – 7 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 3tph – Passing through)
Note.
- These surely are frequencies, that will satisfy the most picky traveller.
- There are freight trains running on the route.
- The tightest section would appear to be between Abbey Wood and Dartford, although Dartford and Northfleet is only two tph less.
- West of Northfleet it gets easier.
- But I do think though, that full digital signalling between Abbey Wood and Gravesend would be able to handle it.
- 14 tph is a frequency that is less than that of the central sections of the East London Line, the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink.
- I have flown my virtual helicopter along the line and there may be places to add a third track, which would add more capacity.
I believe that it is possible to achieve the passenger train frequencies in the last table.
Abbey Wood East Junction
This Google Map shows the track layout to the East of Abbey Wood station.
Note.
- There are crossovers so trains can run between the Elizabeth Line platforms on the North side of Abbey Wood station and the North Kent Line.
- There is space on either side of the railway.
- I have my doubts that the current track layout would be able to handle twelve Elizabeth Line, six North Kent Line and possibly a freight train in every hour, especially where flat junctions are involved.
I can see a flyover or dive-under being built in this area to handle the trains efficiently.
Abbey Wood Power Change-Over
Some thoughts.
- I will assume, that the change-over between 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail power will take place in or near Abbey Wood station.
- This would avoid any erection of electrification gantries to the East of Abbey Wood station.
- If the Office of Road and Rail refuse to allow any more third rail, I could see a Headbolt Lane solution being applied, where batteries are used to bridge the 1.4 mile gap between Abbey Wood station with its 25 KVAC overhead electrification and Belvedere station with its 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- North Kent Line trains would take their existing route between Abbey Wood and Belvedere stations.
- Also, if a comprehensive and efficient track layout is used here, then there might be cost savings if the Elizabeth Line trains supplied their own power from batteries.
An efficient junction to the East of Abbey Wood station, coupled with well-thought out electrification could be key to successfully handling the nearly 20 tph at Abbey Wood station.
Belvedere, Erith And Slade Green Stations
Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green stations are on a double-track section of the line.
- The three stations are not step-free.
- There appear to be a lot of industrial sites, that could be developed for housing.
- There might be the possibility of adding an extra track in places.
- Luckily, there are no level crossings.
- There are some footbridges over the railway, that probably need updating to step-free
I suspect that developing the housing on this route will be most important.
Slade Green Depot
This Google Map shows Slade Green depot and the large triangular junction opposite the depot.
Note.
- Slade Green station is at the top of the map.
- Slade Green depot is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The West point of the junction leads to Bexleyheath.
- The West and North points of the junction are connected by the Erith Loop.
- The South point of the junction leads to Dartford.
There are rail capacity problems in this area.
- Slade Green depot is not big enough.
- One train service goes both ways on the Erith Loop between Slade Green and Bexleyheath every thirty minutes, which could be a block on increasing train frequencies between Abbey Wood and Dartford stations.
- The proposal is saying that the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service will go via Dartford station, where it will probably reverse.
I can see comprehensive redevelopment of the depot and the junction to remove the capacity problems and perhaps build a lot of housing.
- If the Erith Loop is not used could the centre of the junction be developed with a much-needed extension to the depot?
- The depot might be moved elsewhere or perhaps rebuilt with tower blocks on the top.
I think that moving the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service via Dartford could mean that the Erith Loop isn’t needed, so this might free up space to increase the size of the depot.
Dartford Station
This Google Map shows Dartford station and the area around the station.
Note.
- The station has four long platforms.
- It should be able to handle the 12 tph in both directions.
- There is a lot of new developments by the station.
- The station is step-free.
- There are some pictures of Dartford station in Dartford Station – June 27th 2022.
But I do suspect that the station probably needs extra capacity and a substantial rebuild.
Stone Crossing, Greenhithe And Swanscombe Stations
Stone Crossing, Greenhithe and Swanscombe stations will be handling 10 tph.
- Greenhithe is a new station with full step-free access.
- But Stone Crossing and Swanscombe stations may need improvement to bring them up to Elizabeth Line standards.
- More details of Stone Crossing station are given in Stone Crossing Station – June 27th 2022.
- More details of Greenhithe station are given in Bluewater Shopping Centre By Train.
- More details of the current state of Swanscombe station are given in Swanscombe Station – June 27th 2022.
- The one level crossing in the area was closed in 2018.
- There may be scope to add an extra track at places in this section.
I feel that these three stations could be fairly easy to bring up to the required standards.
Northfleet Station
Northfleet station is a station, which in the words of estate agent; Roy Brooks, would have a lot of potential.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The two tracks through the station are the North Kent Line.
- The other two tracks are freight sidings.
- The car-parks at Ebbsfleet station are in the South-West corner of the map.
- There appears to be a large cleared site to the North-West of the station.
These pictures show the station.
The requirements for the station will be as follows.
- The ability to handle 6 tph passing through.
- The ability to be able to handle 4 tph, that terminate at the station.
- Terminating four tph, will probably need two platforms for all eventualities.
- Full step-free access.
- An interchange with Ebbsfleet International station is also needed.
- Is car parking needed?
There is certainly enough space.
The Pedestrian Link Between Northfleet And Ebbsfleet Stations
This is part of the plan and is shown on the first map in this post.
This Google Map shows Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Note.
- The large Ebbsfleet International station towards the bottom of the map.
- Northfleet station on the North Kent Line in the North East corner of the map.
- The two stations are about five hundred metres apart as the crow flies.
There has been a lot of pressure in the past to build a pedestrian link between the two stations, as reported by the Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station.
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.
Why when Ebbsfleet International station was built in the early 2000s for opening in 2007, was a pedestrian link not built between the two stations?
How much did omitting the link save?
Luton Airport are building the Luton DART, which is a people mover to connect Luton Airport Parkway station with the airport.
- It is 1.4 miles long.
- It is fully automated.
- It might have an extra station serving the mid-stay parking.
- It appears to be taking three years to build.
All of this very comprehensive system appears to be costing around £200 million.
I doubt that a simple pedestrian link, like a bridge with travellators, would have cost more than a few tens of million pounds.
Will Northfleet/Ebbsfleet Become A Major Railway Hub?
If Northfleet station and the connection to Ebbsfleet is well designed,, I can see this station becoming a major railway hub.
- It would have Eurostar Continental services.
- It would have HighSpeed services to London and Kent.
- It would have Elizabeth Line services to London and Heathrow.
- It would have Thameslink and Southeastern services.
- The station would have lots of parking.
I also feel in the future that more Continental services will be developed.
- Adding extra platforms for Continental services could be easier than at St. Pancras.
- It could be an ideal terminus for sleeper trains to and from the Continent.
- I might be the ideal terminus for very long distance trains to and from the Continent.
Northfleet/Ebbsfleet has something that St. Pancras lacks – space.
Gravesend Station
Gravesend station is a rebuilt step-free station with three platforms, as these pictures show.
But is it the right station, for the end of the Elizabeth Line?
These points are in favour.
- There is a bay platform, that could handle 4 tph.
- The station is step-free.
- The station has had a recent refurbishment.
- It has HighSpeed services to London and East Kent.
- Gravesend is a town of 74,000 people.
- Passengers can change between through trains by just staying on the same platform.
But these points are against.
- The station is on a cramped site in the town centre.
- There is no train stabling nearby.
- Adding lots of car parking may be difficult.
- Suppose adding the Elizabeth Line to the town was very successful and it was felt more services were needed. Could Gravesend station cope?
These are the times for the various services.
- HighSpeed to St. Pancras – 25 minutes
- HighSpeed to Stratford – 17 minutes
- Southeastern to Charing Cross – 65 minutes
- Thameslink to Abbey Wood- 28 minutes
- Thameslink to London Bridge – 60 minutes
I estimate that the Elizabeth Line will take just over 50 minutes to Tottenham Court Road.
This last timing in itself is a good reason for the Elizabeth Line to serve Gravesend.
But I don’t think the Elizabeth Line has to start there.
I am worried that the Elizabeth will be too successful.
- It serves Central London, Paddington and Heathrow.
- It will have a frequency of four tph from and to Gravesend.
- It will have trains with a very large capacity.
- The trains will have wi-fi and 4G connections.
I don’t think the cramped Gravesend station will be able to cope with the needs of expansion.
- An extra platform.
- Handling trains that need to be turned back to London.
- More car parking.
Northfleet/Ebbsfleet will have the parking and eight tph on the Elizabeth Line, so surely the best solution is to have the actual Elizabeth Line terminal station to the East of Gravesend.
- Travellers to the West of Gravesend will use Northfleet/Ebbsfleet.
- Travellers in Gravesend will use Gravesend station by walking, cycling or using a local bus.
- Travellers to the East of Gravesend will use the new terminal station.
The Elizabeth Line extension is supposedly costing £3.2 billion, so it should serve as many potential passengers as possible.
The Elephant In The Garden Of England
It is proposed that the new Lower Thames Crossing is built to the East of Gravesend.
This map from the Department of Transport, shows the route.
Note.
- The new crossing, which is shown in red, bypasses the Dartford Crossing on the M25.
- The A226 runs between Gravesend and Higham via a junction with the new crossing at Chalk.
- Northfleet is to the West of Gravesend.
This Google Map shows the area between Chalk and Higham.
Note.
- Chalk in the North-West corner of the map.
- Higham in the South-East corner of the map.
- The A226 running between Chalk and Higham.
- Higham station on the North Kent Line about half-way up the East side of the map.
- The North Kent Line running across the top of the map between Gravesend and Higham stations via Hoo Junction.
The Lower Thames Crossing will run North-South across this map to the East of Chalk and according to the Department of Transport map to the West of Thong.
I should admit, that I don’t drive, so the Lower Thames Crossing will be of no use to me, but I have friends in Kent and most seem to be in favour of the new crossing.
Reopening The Hoo Branch To Passenger Trains
In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I wrote about an article in the April 2022 Edition of Modern Railways with the same title.
This is the first paragraph of the Modern Railways article..
Medway Council is working with Network Rail and other industry players in an effort to make restoration of a passenger service to Hoo on the Isle of Grain branch feasible. The Council was awarded £170 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund in 2020 to support schemes to facilitate building of 12,000 new houses in the area, with £63 million of the HIF money for reinstatement of services on the Hoo Branch.
The article mentions, this new infrastructure.
- A new station South of the former Sharnal Street station.
- Works to level crossings, of which there are six between Gravesend station and proposed site of the new Hoo station.
- A passing place at Hoo Junction, where the branch joins the North Kent Line.
- A passing place at Cooling Street.
It looks like we may have the smaller project of reopening the Hoo branch railway, whilst a major road and tunnel is built through the area.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the North Kent Line between Gravesend and Higham stations.
Note.
- Gravesend station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Higham station is at the Eastern edge of the map.
- The railway shown in orange is the North Kent Line.
- The railway shown in yellow is the Hoo branch.
- The railway shown in red is the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
It looks like the path of the new crossing could follow a similar path to the overhead power cable shown on this map.
According to Modern Railways, the main reason for reopening the Hoo Branch for passenger trains is to provide rail access for new housing on the Isle of Grain.
- Improving the Hoo branch will also help the freight services to the various docks and installations on the Isle of Grain.
- Will the builders of the new crossing, use the Isle of Grain for the supply of aggregates and the disposal of tunnel spoil?
- Remember that barges on the Thames were used to remove the tunnel spoil from London for both Crossrail and the Battersea extension to the Northern Line.
My knowledge of major projects is saying to me, that before the major works of the new crossing are started, this branch railway must be updated, otherwise it will cause problems in the future.
Could this be why, the Hoo branch reopening has been mentioned in both the April and July 2022 Editions of Modern Railways? Perhaps a sensible decision has been made, that means the Hoo branch will be improved first, to speed the construction of the new Lower Thames Crossing.
Could The Elizabeth Line Be Extended To The Proposed Hoo Station?
The proposed Hoo station is to be just South of the former Sharnal Street station.
- This is under ten kilometres from Hoo Junction, where the North Kent Line is electrified.
- A single platform could handle 4 tph, but provision for two platforms would be prudent.
- A couple of sidings could provide stabling.
- Services would join the North Kent Line at Hoo Junction.
- Services would use battery power between Hoo Junction and Hoo station.
- If charging were needed at Hoo station a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification would be needed.
- There is plenty of power available locally to power any electrification.
This Google Map shows the possible location of the station.
Note.
- The A 289 road running NE-SW across the map from a roundabout in the North-East corner of the map.
- The A 289 leads from the roundabout in the South-West corner of the map to the Medway Tunnel to Chatham.
- Sharnal Street is between the two roundabouts.
- The single-track railway crosses the A 289 at right-angles, about 500 metres South of Sharnal Street.
- There is even a high voltage power line going through the area to the South of the railway.
It seems to be an ideal place for a station with good road access, space and plenty of power to charge battery vehicles and trains.
I took these pictures of where the A289 crosses over the railway on June 27th 2022.
Note.
- The substation site, which is marked with Network Rail logos. It looks like power has been provided to the site.
- The high-voltage line passing to the South of the site.
- There were trucks carrying tunnel segments. Is there a factory on the Isle of Grain and will it produce segments for the Lower Thames Crossing?
- The Sharnal Street bridge over the railway.
It certainly looks like Network Rail have been planning a station there for some time.
Around The Isle Of Grain
I took these pictures of the Isle of Grain on June 27th 2022.
Note.
- There is a lot of housing planned on the island.
- Someone wants to build a theme park.
- The road past the station leads to the Medway Tunnel.
All these factors would add to the case for the station.
Battery-Electric Class 345 Trains
There would be a need to develop a third-rail battery/electric version of the Class 345 trains.
In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.
AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.
Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift
This was published over eleven years ago, so I suspect Bombardier have refined the concept.
A Simple Extension Of The Elizabeth Line
The branch to Hoo station could be a very simple extension of the Elizabeth Line.
- There appear to be no challenging engineering problems.
- Parking and cycling routes could be provided as required at the station.
- The centre of Gravesend would be under ten minutes from Hoo station.
- There would be a same-platform change for HighSpeed services at Gravesend station.
- The developers of the housing would be over the moon.
- Workers for the Lower Thames Crossing and the big energy projects on the Isle of Grain could reverse commute from London.
- The station would only be a few minutes more than an hour from Central London.
- The station could also double as a Park-and-Ride for Chatham and Gillingham.
- Buses could connect Hoo station to Chatham and Gillingham.
It could prove to be a very valuable station for the Isle of Grain and the Medway Towns.
The Contactless Ticketing Conundrum
This is said on the Transport for London website.
Contactless pay as you go is accepted throughout the Elizabeth line.
So it’s just a case of Have Card Will Travel!
So this will mean, that contactless ticketing will have to be accepted at all stations East of Abbey Wood.
Everybody will love that!
Are There Any Other Possible Elizabeth Line Destinations In Kent?
Train companies, since the days of British Rail have run Peak time commuter trains to bring workers into London in the morning and take them home in the evening.
There will be four tph passing through Gravesend and they don’t all have to go to and from Hoo station.
Digital signalling will give flexibility as to which stations the trains could serve.
Possibilities include.
Gillingham
Gillingham station may be a possibility.
Maidstone West
Maidstone West station may be a possibility.
Rainham
Rainham station has three platforms and is already served by two Thameslink tph to Luton through Central London, which use the bay Platform 0
Some might argue that two Elizabeth Line tph should extend from Abbey Wood to Rainham, to give a four tph service between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
This would be a North Kent Metro.
Rochester
Rochester station has three platforms and Platform 3 can turn trains back to London.
It is already used by Thameslink to turn Peak services.
Project Management
The project may be budgeted to cost £3.2 billion, but it is a small number of independent projects.
- Digital signalling
- Electrification changeover at Abbey Wood station.
- An efficient junction East of Abbey Wood.
- Rebuild Belvedere station with step-free access.
- Rebuild Erith station with step-free access.
- Rebuild Slade Green station with step-free access.
- Extend Slade Green depot.
- Upgrade Dartford station.
- Rebuild Stone Crossing station with step-free access.
- Upgrade Greenhithe station.
- Upgrade Swanscombe station.
- Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
- Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
- Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
- Build Hoo station.
Note.
- Gravesend station would only need minimal updating.
- As I said before, I suspect the digital signalling will be the biggest cost.
- Choosing the optimal order is good project management!
- Projects that create fare revenue should be done early, especially if they don’t interfere with services on the railway.
The first projects, that I would develop would be these.
- Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
- Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
- Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
- Build Hoo station.
As I said earlier, this project needs to be developed with the Lower Thames Crossing.
Conclusion
This seems an excellent plan.
Council ‘Talking’ To Government On Improving Train Provision, Leader Says
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Barking and Dagenham Post.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
Barking and Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell said the authority is “talking” to the government about improving train provision through the borough.
Last week saw the opening of the Elizabeth line, which stretches more than 100km from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
But none of its stations are in Barking and Dagenham – with the nearest being Chadwell Heath – and Cllr Rodwell does not believe the borough stands to benefit from the line at the moment.
He has a point and is asking for extra stations in the borough.
Dagenham East on c2c is mentioned.
This paragraph also talks about HS1 domestic.
Cllr Rodwell, who is beginning a third term as council leader, also said HS1 domestic should stop in the borough.
At the moment, the domestic services that run on the line are operated by Southeastern and travel between London and Kent.
The sole stops in the capital are St Pancras and Stratford International.
“It should be Ebbsfleet, Purfleet, Barking, Stratford International” before terminating at St Pancras, Cllr Rodwell said.
“That would be massive for the ability of our young people to get jobs.
I feel he’s right about the jobs, but would the extra stations be possible.
Dagenham East
This map from cartometro.com shows the location of Dagenham East station.
Note.
- The Elizabeth Line passing through Romford at the North of the map.
- The District Line and c2c passing through Upminster across towards the bottom of the map.
- Upminster is in the London Borough of Havering, as are all stations after Dagenham East.
- Dagenham East station is the second station on the line and used to be a c2c station until 1962.
This Google Map shows Dagenham East station.
These pictures show the station.
Note.
- The c2c platforms appear to be still in place. Although, some work needs to be done.
- A new bridge will be required to access the far platform.
- six c2c trains per hour (tph) pass through the station.
I feel that perhaps a two tph service between Dagenham East and Fenchurch Street could be possible.
A Thought About High Speed One
High Speed One links London and the Channel Tunnel.
- Every time a train stops, it increases the total journey time by a couple of minutes.
- So two extra stops on Southeastern Highspeed services at Purfleet and Barking, would slow the service and take up capacity on High Speed One.
- If you read the Wikipedia entry for the link, there are several operators, who seem to be hoping to run extra services on the route.
- In addition Thalys and Eurostar have merged and surely, they will bring London more into their routes.
I feel that what spare capacity, there is on High Speed One will more likely be allocated to European services than domestic services in East London. It’s probably more profitable for the operator of High Speed One for a start.
Purfleet
This Google Map shows Purfleet station and its location in relation to High Speed One.
Note.
- Purfleet station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- High Speed One runs across the North-East corner of the map.
- Purfleet station is served by two tph between Fenchurch Street and Grays.
- In Purfleet Station – 19th August 2021, there is a gallery of pictures of Purfleet station.
- In that post, I also describe planned developments at Purfleet station.
Given the distance between the current Purfleet station and High Speed One, and the planned developments, I think that an interchange between c2c and High Speed One at the current Purfleet station, would not be a very practical one.
But there may be possibilities to the East, where c2c and High Speed One cross.
This Google Map shows the location of their crossing by the QE2 bridge.
Note.
- High Speed One going diagonally NW-SE across the map
- The A 282 crossing over the QE2 bridge going North-South.
- The c2c line going East-West across the map.
Could the proposed station be built, where the two rail lines cross?
Probably, but!
- High Speed One would only connect to the Fenchurch Street and Grays service running at two tph.
- Passengers for the City of Southend would have to change at Grays.
- There would probably need to be separate lines for expresses to pass stopping trains.
- Stations on viaducts are expensive to build.
I don’t think a station at Purfleet would be the most practical or affordable of projects.
Barking
This OpenRailwayMap shows the routes of High Speed One and c2c through Barking.
Note.
- The red line is High Speed One.
- High Speed Two is shown in pink, when it is in tunnel.
- The orange line is the c2c line between Fenchurch Street and Grays.
- Dagenham Dock station is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
- Rainham station is in the London Borough of Havering.
It looks like Dagenham Dock station would be the only station, where an interchange could be built.
This Google Map shows Dagenham Dock station.
Note.
- The top pair of lines are the c2c lines.
- The next pair of lines are High Speed One.
- The lines below High Speed One are a freight link between High Speed One and the Barking freight hub.
There certainly would appear to be space for two platforms on High Speed One.
But then we still have the problem of an extra station using up valuable space on High Speed One.
The only solution, that I can think of, is that Southeastern HighSpeed services would perhaps stop only at Dagenham Dock or Stratford, but not both.
Conclusion
In this simple analysis, it looks like an extra stop on c2c at Dagenham East is possible, but extra stations on High Speed One might be difficult to fit in.
Could Trains From The North Connect To High Speed One At St. Pancras?
I was casually flying my virtual helicopter over the throat of St. Pancras International station, when I took a few pictures.
This Google Map shows the Northern ends of the platforms and the tracks leading in.
Note.
- Platforms 1-4 to the West with darker tracks handle the East Midlands Railway services.
- Platforms 5-10 in the centre with lighter tracks formed of three shorter islands handle the Eurostar services.
- Platforms 11-13 to the East with longer platforms handle the Southeastern HighSpeed services.
This Google Map shows the East Midlands Railway platforms.
Note.
- There are two island platforms; 1-2 and 3-4.
- The four platforms are served by two tracks, that connect to the fast lines of the Midland Main Line.
- The platforms will be able to handle a pair of Class 810 trains, which will be 240 metres long.
- Will the two trains per hour (tph) using Class 360 trains between London and Corby always use the same platform at St. Prancras station?
This Google Map shows the Eurostar platforms.
Note.
There are three island platforms; 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10.
The two island platforms in the West are for East Midlands Railway services.
The two longer island platforms in the East are for Southeastern HighSpeed services.
The six platforms connect to two fast lines, that are shared with the Southeastern services.
This Google Map shows the lines proceeding to the North.
Note.
- There are four sets of tracks.
- The two light-coloured tracks on the left are for Thameslink or sidings.
- The next two dark-coloured tracks are the two tracks of the Midland Main Line.
- The next set of tracks are those connecting to the six Eurostar platforms.
- The two tracks on the right are those connecting to the Southeastern Highspeed platforms.
- There are crossovers between the Eurostar and Southeastern Highspeed tracks to allow efficient operation of the trains going to and from the twin tracks of High Speed One.
This Google Map shows where the Midland Main Line and High Speed One divide.
Note.
The two dark-coloured tracks of the Midland Main Line running North.
There appear to be four tracks running North East towards High Speed One.
Between the two sets of tracks two further tracks lead to the North.
The track closest to the Midland Main Line joins to the slow lines of the Midland Main Line.
The other one connects to the North London Line.
This Google Map shows the connecting lines to the High Speed One tunnel.
Note the tunnel portal is in the North-East corner of the map.
- It looks to me that the following connections are possible.
- St. Pancras station Eurostar platforms and Midland Main Line.
- St. Pancras station Eurostar platforms and North London Line to the West.
- High Speed One and North London Line to the West.
These connections are in addition to those connections needed to run scheduled services.
They would enable trains to take the following routes.
- St. Pancras station Eurostar platforms and Midland Main Line.
- St. Pancras station Eurostar platforms and the West Coast Main Line via North London Line
- High Speed One and the West Coast Main Line via North London Line
- St. Pancras station Eurostar platforms and the Great Western Main Line via North London Line
- High Speed One and the Great Western Main Line via North London Line
I suspect most of the times, that these routes are used it is for engineering purposes or behaps dragging a failed train out of St. Pancras.
But the track layout would seem to allow the following.
Direct electric freight and passenger services between High Speed One and Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester.
Direct electric passenger services between High Speed One and Sheffield and Leeds, with a reverse at St. Pancras, after the Midland Main Line were to be fully electrified.
Was this by design for Eurostar or was it just what Network Rail ended up with?
A Modern Regional Eurostar Service
These are my thoughts on a modern Regional Eurostar service.
Rolling Stock
High Speed Two is coming and this year, the company will order some of the rolling stock.
There will be fifty-four trains
The trains will be Classic-Compatible for running on the West Coast Main Line.
They will be 200 metres long and be able to run in pairs.
They will be able to operate at 225 mph.
The operating speed of High Speed One is 186 mph.
I can see no reason why trains of this type, couldn’t run between St. Pancras and many destinations in Europe.
North Of England And The Continent
Could this be the service pattern?
- One train could start in the North West and another in the North East.
- Both trains would proceed to St. Pancras picking up passengers en route.
- At St. Pancras the two trains would join together.
- The driver could then position themselves in the front cab and take High Speed One, through the Channel Tunnel.
The train could even split at Calais to serve two different Continental destinations.
Going North, the spitting and joining would be reversed.
What Infrastructure Would Be Needed?
I suspect the following will be needed.
- The West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line would need in-cab digital ERTMS signalling.
- Full electrification of the Midland Main Line would probably be necessary, as I don’t think the tunnel allows diesel trains to pass through.
- Some platform lengthening might be needed.
It would not be an expensive scheme.
What Timings Would Be Possible?
Using current timings you get the following times.
- Leeds and Paris – Five hours
- Leeds and Brussels – Four hours forty minutes
- Manchester and Paris – Five hours
- Manchester and Brussels – For hours forty minutes
- Newcastle and Paris – Six hours
- Newcastle and Brussels – Five hours thirty minutes
Note, that the times are best estimates and include a long stop of several minutes at St. Pancras.
Could Sleeper Service Be Run?
I don’t see why not!
Conclusion
It looks like it may be possible to run regional services to Europe, where pairs of train split and join at St. Pancras.
St
Eurostar Plans To Start Direct Amsterdam – London Trains In October
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Cross-Channel high speed operator Eurostar has confirmed its intention to launch direct Amsterdam – London St Pancras services from October 26, complementing the London – Amsterdam trains which have run since April 2018.
The article then goes on to give more details of the service.
- Security checks will be undertaken at Amsterdam CS and Rotterdam Centraal stations.
- Amsterdam to London will be nine minutes over four hours.
- There will initially be two trains per day.
- There was a hint of more next year.
- It will carry Shengen area passengers between Amsterdam and Brussels.
Eurostar says it will offer flexible booking options to help, if the Government changes COVID-19 quarantine regulations.
Conclusion
It looks a sensible offering and as I’ve used it between London and Amsterdam three times, I will be trying to fit in a trip before the end of the year.
Nightjet Depot Investment To Support Sleeper Train Network Expansion
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Austrian Federal Railways held a groundbreaking ceremony on August 21 to launch the construction of a €40m facility at its Wien Simmering depot for the maintenance of its Nightjet overnight train fleet.
The article then goes on to give more details of Nightjet‘s expansion.
- A service between Vienna and Brussels was introduced earlier this year.
- The Nightjet network currently has nineteen routes.
- A service from Amsterdam to München, Innsbruck and Vienna, will be introduced in December.
- Vienna is the EU city with the most night train services.
- In August 2018, Nightjet ordered thirteen new seven-car trains from Siemens.
- Another twenty seven-car trains were ordered this month.
It does look like Nightjet is linking up with Eurostar to take people far into Europe.
Eurostar Amsterdam To London Treaty Formally Signed
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railnews.
The first paragraph says it all.
The treaty allowing full customs and security procedures for Eurostar passengers at Amsterdam and Rotterdam has been formally signed, said the Department for Transport.
Perhaps, next time I go to Amsterdam, I’ll come back by train.
The Anonymous Widower 