British Land Unveils Plans To Transform London’s Euston Tower Into A Life Sciences And Innovation Hub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from British Land.
The Wikipedia entry for the Euston Tower gives this paragraph of history.
The site was developed by Joe Levy who bought properties along the north side of Euston Road to enable him to build a complex of two tower blocks with office shops and apartments. The building, which was designed by Sidney Kaye Eric Firmin & Partners in the International style and built by George Wimpey, was completed in 1970. It is 36-storeys and 124 metres (407 ft) high. Early tenants included Inmarsat and Capital Radio.
When you get to over fifty years old, various parts of your body get tired and I suspect it is the same with buildings.
These are the two bullet points of the press release.
- Euston Tower represents a major retrofit and redevelopment opportunity at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter
- Proposals aim to transform the building into a world-class net zero home for world-leading life science and innovation occupiers
These two paragraphs then add a bit more vision.
Leading property company British Land has unveiled plans to redevelop Euston Tower through an innovative combination of retention, re-use and an ultra-low carbon new structure. The plans would transform the building into a pioneering, modern, net zero workspace for cutting-edge businesses of all sizes, including new world-class, lab-enabled spaces at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter.
Currently under discussion with Camden Council and other local stakeholders, the vision for Euston Tower will lead the way in low carbon retrofit and construction techniques, using inclusive design which creates high quality workspaces and continues to support the local community and economy. The current proposals will bring forward lab-enabled spaces for start-up and scale-up innovation businesses, as well as spaces for the local community to support education and training opportunities.
These are points from the press release.
- Leading the design are award-winning Danish architecture practice 3XN.
- They are supported by London-based architecture and landscape studio DSDHA who re-designed much of Broadgate’s public realm, including Exchange Square.
- In line with British Land’s longstanding commitment to net zero development, the design’s sustainability strategy is based on retaining, re-using and re-cycling existing material, specifying low carbon and recycled materials where new is required and only using certified carbon offsets as an action of last resort.
- This multi-layered approach to net zero development aims to create a blueprint for the sustainable redevelopment of challenging, inflexible old buildings that can be used in the future.
British Land has owned and operated Regent’s Place for nearly 40 years, which means they must have a lot of knowledge about how best to develop the building and its surroundings.
They certainly seem to be applying a modern net-zero approach to a building that was iconic and modern in the 1970s.
This afternoon I walked down the Euston Road between Euston and Great Portland Street stations and took these pictures.
Note.
- Euston Station is a shadow of its former self.
- Euston Tower is the boxy tower on the North side of Euston Road.
- University College London Hospital (UCLH) is the tower on the South side of Euston Road.
- I believe the glass-fronted building opposite the hospital and Euston Tower contains a lot of BT infrastructure.
I have some thoughts.
Traffic Along The Euston Road
I took the pictures around 1400 in a Friday and they show how busy the Euston Road is most of the time.
According to the Wikipedia entry for the Euston Road, there was a plan to remove the underpass.
In the early-21st century, the Greater London Authority commissioned a plan to improve the road from the architectural firm, Terry Farrell and Partners. The original study proposed removing the underpass (which was subsequently cancelled) and providing a pedestrian crossing and removing the gyratory system connecting the Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street. The scheme was approved by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone as “the start of changing the Marylebone to Euston road from a highway into a series of linked public spaces.” The pedestrian crossing opened in March 2010. Livingstone’s successor, Boris Johnson, favours keeping the Euston Road underpass and declared it to be a good place to test his nerves when cycling around London.
Nothing is said about, where the traffic would have gone, if the underpass had been closed.
I walked along the South side of the Euston Road past the hospital and the air couldn’t be considered clean. As I write this, this website rates it Hazardous.
If we ignore the pollution for pedestrians and cyclists, is it really a road, that is fit for the purpose of moving traffic between King’s Cross and Baker Street, and vice-versa? I don’t think so!
The UK Needs More Lab Space
Cambridge innovators and developers were always saying they needed more lab space.
I also suspect, they are moaning in Oxford too!
So building high-quality space in London could reduce the pressure.
In Canary Wharf Boosts Its Science Ambitions, I talked about the ambitions of Canary Wharf to be a life sciences hub.
The Euston Tower Is Well-Connected
Consider.
- The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston, King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations, with all their long distance connections.
- The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston Square, Great Portland Street, King’s Cross St. Pancras and Warren Square stations, with all their Underground connections.
- There are buses everywhere.
But that’s not to say, that these links cannot be improved.
Euston High Speed Two Station Could Be Euston Tower’s Sister?
This Google Map shows the location of Euston Town and the proposed Euston High Speed Two station.
Note.
- Euston Tower is marked by a red arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
- The existing Euston station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The High Speed Two station will be built along the Western side of the existing station.
With good landscaping, an excellent walking route, and perhaps a people mover Euston Tower could have superb connections to the rest of the UK.
Cycling And Walking Could Be A Possibility!
This Google Map shows the wider area around Euston Tower.
Note.
- Euston Tower is marked by the red arrow towards the bottom of the map.
- To its West lies the cycling- and walking-friendly spaces of Regents Park and Primrose Hill.
In the 1970s, I regularly walked or cycled across the park from where we lived near Primrose Hill to a client in Great Portland Street.
I also suspect other cycling and walking routes could be developed to Euston Tower from Euston, King’s Cross, St. Pancras and other stations.
Crossrail 2
Crossrail 2 would certainly help travelling to the Euston Tower, by linking Euston, King’s Cross and St.Pancras to North-East and South-West suburbs of London, with trains at frequencies of up to 30 thirty trains per hour (tph) in the central tunnel.
But.
- The new line will cost at least £31.2 billion. Who can afford it?
- The Elizabeth Line took sixteen years from approval to full opening.
- Crossrail 2 would still be a walk from Euston Tower.
So Crossrail 2 is unlikely to be any help to the redevelopment of Euston Tower.
Improving The Sub-Surface Lines
The Euston Tower is close to two stations on the sub-surface lines; Euston Square and Great Portland Street.
Services through these stations are currently as follows.
- Circle Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
- Hammersmith & City Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
- Aldgate and Amersham- 2 tph – In both directions all day.
- Aldgate and Chesham – 2 tph – In both directions all day.
- Aldgate and Uxbridge – 6 tph Peak – 8 tph – Off-Peak
- Aldgate and Watford – 4 tph – Peak
Note.
- In the Peak there are 26 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
- In the Off Peak there are 24 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
- In this article on Modern Railways,it is said that after digital signalling is installed on the sub-surface lines, the capacity on the lines, will be 32 tph in the Peak and 27 tph in the Off-Peak.
These figures give a 33 % capacity increase in the Peak and a 28 % increase in the Off Peak.
Both Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations are cramped and not fully step-free stations and could struggle with a 28 % and upwards increase in passenger numbers.
In The New Step-Free Entrance At Euston Square Station, I detailed TfL’s plans to put a new full step-free entrance South of Euston Road at Euston Square station.
This would not directly help travellers going between Euston Tower and Euston station, but hopefully, it would help to make Euston station less crowded and more passenger-friendly.
It would certainly ease walking between University College and the hospital, and the station.
This map from cartometro shows the Underground lines at Great Portland Street station.
Note.
- The yellow and mauve tracks are the sub-surface lines.
- The black tracks are the Northern Line.
- The blue tracks are the Victoria Line.
This Google Map shows the Euston Tower, Great Portland Street and Warren Street stations.
Note.
- The Euston Tower is indicated by a red arrow in the top-right corner of the map.
- Great Portland Street station is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
- Warren Street station is at the left of the map.
I wonder if the platforms were to be extended Eastwards at Great Portland Street station, that a new entrance to the station could be created perhaps fifty metres from Euston Tower.
I am convinced that the extra passenger traffic created by the life sciences and innovation hub can be handled by an augmented transport infrastructure, which would rely mainly on planned improvements to the sub-surface lines, which are approaching their final stages.
Conclusion
Converting Euston Tower into a life sciences and innovation hub is a plan that I believe can work well!
I would recommend the following improvements to public transport.
- The planned extra step-free entrance to Euston Square station on Gordon Street is constructed.
- An extra fully step-free entrance is built at the Eastern ends of the platforms at Great Portland Street station, which would be about halfway between Euston Tower and the station.
As improvements to the signalling of the sub-surface lines will deliver an upwards of 27 % capacity on the sub-surface lines, the life sciences and innovation hub might as well take advantage.
Is Six Platforms Enough At Euston For High Speed Two?
In this article in The Times, which is entitled What Is The New HS2 Route? The UK’s High-Speed Rail Network Mapped, this is said.
Sunak said a new six-platform station at Euston would save £6.5 billion compared with HS2’s vision of an 11-platform scheme.
But would it be possible to operate a full service with just six platforms?
This graphic shows High Speed Two services, as proposed by HS2 after Phase 2b opens.
Note.
- Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
- Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- Each service will run once an hour.
- There are seventeen services that terminate at Euston in every hour.
- Eight are High Speed Two Full Size trains, which are 400 metres long.
- Four are single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 200 metres long.
- Five are pairs of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 400 metres long.
I have a few thoughts.
The Capacity of High Speed Two
High Speed Two has been designed to have a capacity of eighteen trains per hour (tph).
That means it should be able to handle the seventeen tph to and from Euston.
Six Platforms Would Mean That Each Platform Would Handle Three tph
That is just simple arithmetic.
But could each platform handle three tph?
There are several places in the UK, where a single platform handles three or even four tph.
But these are generally smaller stations handling smaller trains.
I believe that with passenger entry to the platforms from both ends, as there is at King’s Cross, London Bridge and Manchester Piccadilly, that twenty minutes between trains should be possible.
What Happens If It Goes Wrong?
Occasionally trains fail, platforms get blocked or something more serious happens, which in the case of the HS2 Euston station would reduce the number of platforms available to five.
One of these actions could be taken.
Some Trains Can Terminate At Old Oak Common Station
Old Oak Common station is proposed to have six high speed platforms, so four platforms could be used to terminate trains in cases of trouble.
Two Services Run Using Single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Could Share A Platform
This would work as the platforms are designed to accept a pair of these trains.
Platforms 17 And 18 At The Current Euston Station Could Be Used In An Emergency?
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks and platforms at Euston station.
Note.
- Each red track is an electrified platform, with its number alongside.
- Platforms 17 and 18 are on the Western side.
- The pink tracks are London Underground lines.
- The dotted red and grey track down the Western side is the High Speed Two tracks.
Would it be possible to connect the High Speed Two tracks to Platforms 17 and 18 for use in an emergency?
I think it would be.
Conclusion
I believe that it’s possible to design a six-platform station to handle all the High Speed Two traffic at Euston.
Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?
I wrote this post before Rishi Sunak made his speech.
I went to Manchester and Liverpool yesterday by train.
I took the 10:33 from Euston and this a summary of my journey.
- The train left Euston half a minute early.
- It arrived at Stafford (133.5 miles) at 11:50 and left at 11:52.
- It arrived at Crewe (158.0 miles) at 12:08 and left at 12.10.
- It arrived at Wilmslow (176.9 miles) at 12:25 and left at 12:27.
- It arrived at Stockport (183.0 miles) at 12:35 and left at 12:37.
- It arrived in Manchester Piccadilly (188.9 miles) at 12:46.
- It was two minutes late into Manchester and more or less on time at the other stops.
Note.
- The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Colwich and Stafford.
- Euston and Manchester had been timetabled at two hours and eleven minutes.
- This is an average speed of 86.5 mph.
- The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as one hour and fifty-four minutes.
- This will be an average speed of 99.4 mph.
Coming home, I took the 18:48 from Liverpool Lime Street and this a summary of my journey.
- The train left Liverpool on time.
- It arrived at Runcorn (13.2 miles) at 18:58 and left at 19:02.
- It arrived at Crewe (35.8 miles) at 19:26 and left at 19:28.
- It arrived at Milton Keynes (143.8 miles) at 20:27 and left at 20:29.
- It arrived in Euston (183.6 miles) at 21:00.
- It was five minutes late into Crewe and two minutes early at Euston.
Note.
- The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Stafford, Colwich, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Nuneaton.
- Liverpool and Euston had been timetabled at two hours and twenty minutes.
- This is an average speed of 78.7 mph.
- The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as two hours and three minutes.
- This will be an average speed of 89.6 mph.
This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.
Note.
- High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
- After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
- The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
- Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.
The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.
- The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
- The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
- This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.
London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two times on the route could be very fast.
This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between High Speed Two’s two Birmingham stations and Lichfield.
Note.
- High Speed Two Phases 1 and 2a are shown in blue.
- High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
- At the top of the map, can be seen the junction, where High Speed Two to the North splits, that was shown in the previous map.
- The large blue dot in the West at the bottom of the map, is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
- The other large blue dot is Birmingham International station.
- The three sections of High Speed Two to London, Birmingham Curzon Street and the North meet at a triangular junction between the two Birmingham stations.
- High Speed Two to the East Midlands, branches off to the East North of the triangular junction.
This third map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between Lichfield and Crewe.
Note.
- High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
- High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
- Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, where at the South end of the orange section.
- The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the new tracks of High Speed Two.
- The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
- The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.
These are a few thoughts and questions.
How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And London?
Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to go between the two Birmingham stations and then head South,
How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North?
Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to turn North and then take one of the two routes to the North; High Speed Two or Trent Valley Line/West Coast Main Line.
How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North If High Speed Two Between Birmingham And The North Is Scrapped?
If High Speed Two is scrapped from the Northern point of the triangular junction to the North, there will be no way that trains could go North from Birmingham Curzon Street.
- The overcrowded Birmingham New Street station will still be the link to the North of England and Scotland for Birmingham.
- How would trains connect to the future branch to East Midlands Parkway, which connects just North of the triangular junction?
I suspect that a short stub will be built North of the triangular junction to connect to the Trent Valley Line, which is currently, the main route of trains between London and the North through the West Midlands, for trains that don’t go through Birmingham.
Trains Between London And Stafford
Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.
The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Stafford.
- Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and seventeen minutes.
- Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-five minutes.
Note.
That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.
High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.
How Many Avanti West Coast Services Use The Trent Valley Line?
These trains use the Trent Valley Line.
- London and Holyhead – 8 tpd
- London and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph, which is planned to increase to 2 tph
- London and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph
- London and Blackpool North – 1 tpd
- London and Glasgow – 1 tph
Note.
- tpd is trains per day
- tph is trains per hour
This is roughly six tph.
Would It Be Possible To Finish High Speed Two At The Lichfield Junction And Connect It To The Trent Valley Line?
This is a repeat of the first map.
Note.
- High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
- After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
- The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
- Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.
If the Eastern branch North from the junction were to be scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via Stafford.
As all these tracks are planned and must be at an advanced stage, that is ready for construction, I feel the route would be feasible.
It would have these benefits.
- Birmingham Curzon Street services and the North-West of England and the West of Scotland would be possible.
- Services between London and Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, than they are now.
- Time savings will also apply to services from London to Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and all stations between Crewe and Glasgow.
The capacity of the Trent Valley Line would be the limiting factor.
Time Savings Between Crewe And Preston
According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, these will be the fastest times to Crewe and Preston.
- Crewe – 0:56
- Preston 1:18
Note.
- The fastest Preston service runs non-stop between Euston and Preston.
- Crewe and Preston are 51 miles apart.
A time of 22 minutes between Crewe and Preston, means the average speed is 139 mph.
Does this mean that High Speed Two will improve between Crewe and Preston to allow 140 mph non-stop running?
But 22 minutes is certainly an improvement on the current time between Crewe and Preston for Scottish trains of 40 minutes.
Time Savings Between Crewe And Liverpool
The upgrading of the line between might save another couple of minutes between Crewe and Weaver junction.
What Times Would Be Possible Via High Speed Two And The Trent Valley Line?
These times are based on the following.
- The twenty-two minute saving to Stafford, as all High Speed Two services to the North-West of England and the West of Scotland will go via Phase 1 of High Speed Two and Stafford.
- A saving of eighteen minutes will be applied to Scottish services because of savings between Crewe and Preston.
This would give these times in hours:minutes.
- Blackpool – 2:10
- Carlisle – 2:35
- Chester – 1:28
- Crewe – 1:08
- Glasgow – 3:50
- Holyhead – 3:10
- Lancaster – 2:03
- Liverpool Lime Street – 1:41
- Llandudno Junction – 2:24
- Macclesfield – 1:30
- Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe – 1:52
- Oxenholme – 1:54
- Preston – 1:46
- Runcorn 1:31
- Stafford – 0:55
- Stockport – 1:35
- Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10
- Warrington – 1:22
- Wigan 1:33
- Wilmslow – 1:25
I have calculated extra services to Blackpool and North Wales.
Adding The Lichfield And Crewe Section
Consider.
- My calculations indicate that London and Crewe will take 1:08.
- The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, gives the fastest time to Crewe as 0:56.
This indicates that adding the section of High Speed Two between Lichfield and Crewe will save a further twelve minutes.
Conclusion
I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.
There are certainly savings to be made.
See Also
High Speed Two To Crewe
There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of speculation of my own.
Sample Times Between London And Crewe
These are selected times from the 27th September 2023.
- 07:30 – Glasgow Non-Stop – 1:29
- 07:33 – Manchester Piccadilly – 1:37 – Stops at Stafford
- 07:43 – Liverpool Lime Street – 1:40 – Stops at Milton Keynes
- 08:30 – Glasgow Non-Stop – 1:29
- 08:33 – Manchester Piccadilly – 1:37 – Stops at Stafford
- 08:43 – Liverpool Lime Street – 1:40 – Stops at Milton Keynes
- 09:02 – Holyhead – 1:40 – Stop at Stafford
- 15:02 – Chester – 1:40 – Stops at Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley and Stafford
Note.
- The 07:30 and 08:30 Glasgow services appears to be pathed for one of the Class 390 Pendolino electric trains and were run by Pendolinos.
- The 07:33 and 08:33 Manchester services appears to be pathed for one of the Pendolino electric trains and were run by Pendolinos.
- The 07:43 and 08:43 Liverpool services appears to be pathed for one of the new Class 807 electric trains, but were run by Pendolinos.
- The 15:02 Chester service appears to be pathed for one of the new Class 805 bi-mode trains.
- All services except the Glasgow services stop at Crewe.
- As London Euston and Crewe is 158 miles, the non-stop Glasgow services average 107 mph, the one-stop Manchester service averages 98 mph and the one-stop Liverpool service averages 95 mph.
I have some further thoughts.
How Long Does A Stop Take?
I’ve looked at some stops of Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester services
Crewe
Looking at timings between Weaver Junction and Norton Bridge, I have found the following times.
- Glasgow-Euston – 23 minutes
- Liverpool-Euston – 28 minutes
Note.
- Manchester services don’t go through Weaver Junction.
- Weaver Junction and Norton Bridge are respectively North and South of Crewe.
- The Liverpool service stops at Crewe, where it has a dwell time of two minutes.
- The Glasgow service goes straight through Crewe.
The Crewe stop takes a total of 5 minutes of which 3 minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.
Stafford
Looking at timings between Norton Bridge and Colwich, I have found the following times.
- Glasgow-Euston – 7½ minutes
- Liverpool-Euston – 7½ minutes
- Manchester -Euston – 14 minutes
Note.
- Norton Bridge and Colwich are respectively North and South of Stafford.
- The Manchester service stops at Stafford, where it has a dwell time of two minutes.
- The Glasgow and Liverpool services go straight through Stafford.
The Stafford stop takes a total of 6½ minutes of which 4½ minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.
Milton Keynes
Looking at timings between Weedon and Bletchley, I have found the following times.
- Glasgow-Euston – 11½ minutes
- Liverpool-Euston – 16 minutes
- Manchester -Euston – 12½ minutes
Note.
- Weedon and Bletchley are respectively North and South of Milton Keynes.
- The Liverpool service stops at Milton Keynes, where it has a dwell time of one minute.
- The Glasgow and Manchester services go straight through Milton Keynes.
The Milton Keynes stop takes a total of 4 minutes of which 3 minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.
Average Speeds Between Crewe And London
London Ruston and Crewe is 158 miles according to Real Time Trains.
So what would times would various average speeds deliver?
- 100 mph – 95 minutes
- 110 mph – 86 minutes
- 120 mph – 79 minutes
- 125 mph – 76 minutes
- 130 mph – 73 minutes
- 140 mph – 68 minutes
Obviously, any average speed with over 125 mph running, will need full digital signalling.
Liverpool And London In Two Hours
Tucked away beside the Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions article in the December 2022 Edition of Modern Railways is a report on Avanti West Coast’s application for a second service between Euston and Liverpool.
This is said.
Avanti West Coast has applied for access rights for its second hourly Euston to Liverpool service, starting from December 2023, although a phased introduction of the new service is likely. This would make use of Avanti’s new fleet of 10×7-car Class 807 Hitachi EMUs, which are expected to enter service from Autumn 2023. The ‘807s’ would be deployed on the current hourly Liverpool service, on which a call at Liverpool South Parkway would be added. (provision is made for this in the December 2022 timetable.).
Pendolinos would then operate the second service each hour, calling at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth.
A linespeed project is in progress to raise the permissible speed for non-tilting trains on the West Coast Main Line, and Avanti’s new Hitachi trains will take advantage of this.
I’ll take a quick look at the Crewe and Runcorn section.
- It is 22.5 miles.
- It takes 19 minutes.
- That is an average speed of 71 mph.
- Crewe and Weaver Junction has a speed limit of at least 110 mph
- Runcorn and Weaver Junction has a speed limit of at least 90 mph for most of the way.
- If with their superior performance, the new Class 807 trains could average 90 mph between Crewe and Runcorn, they would take 15 minutes.
- Achieving the 90 mph average may need a bit of track realignment and some signaling changes.
The four minutes saved would be enough to handle the extra stop at Liverpool South Parkway.
Consider.
- Currently, Pendolino trains do Liverpool and Crewe in 38 minutes, which includes the stop at Runcorn.
- My calculation with the Class 807 trains, shows that with a bit of extra signalling, the new trains could do Liverpool and Crewe in 38 minutes with the two stops.
- The stop at Crewe will subtract 5 minutes from the base journey time.
- The stop at Milton Keynes will subtract 4 minutes from the base journey time.
This means the base journey time between Crewe and London will be 73 minutes.
This would indicate that the trains would be running at 130 mph to achieve the two hours.
But there are five accelerations and five decelerations on a journey between London and Liverpool and the new Class 807 trains are the Lotuses of Hitachi’s family of AT-300 trains; lightweight and powerful.
Suppose they could save thirty seconds for each acceleration and deceleration.
The base journey time between Crewe and London will be 78 minutes.
This would indicate that the trains would be running at over 120 mph to achieve the two hours.
I certainly feel, that Liverpool and London in two hours is certainly possible using the new Class 807 trains.
London and Crewe with two stops would be times at one hour and twelve minutes.
But what about the Pendolinos?
- My last return trip from Liverpool did a practice call at Liverpool South Parkway and still arrived in London a few minutes early.
- The Pendolinos will still benefit from any improvements, between Crewe and Runcorn, which could reduce the Liverpool and Crewe time from 38 minutes to 34 minutes.
- The stop at Crewe will subtract 5 minutes from the base journey time.
- The stops at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth will both subtract 4 minutes from the base journey time.
This means the base journey time between Crewe and London will be 73 minutes, which is the same as for the Class 807 trains.
This would indicate that the trains would be running at 130 mph to achieve the two hours.
Could this average speed be achieved by the selective application of full digital signalling, perhaps on the Trent Valley Line?
But it does appear to me, that the Pendolinos can get very close to two hours between London and Liverpool.
London and Crewe with three stops would be times at one hour and sixteen minutes.
Crewe And London Non-Stop
Consider.
- Pendolinos between London and Glasgow, go non-stop between London and Crewe.
- I have calculated that Pendolinos between London and Liverpool, will take one hour and sixteen minutes with three stops between London and Crewe.
- The three stops take a total of thirteen minutes.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see London and Glasgow Pendolinos take one hour and three minutes between London and Crewe.
This would knock twenty-six minutes off journey times between London and Glasgow.
Conclusion
I believe that with relatively minor improvements on the West Coast Main Line and the Liverpool branch, the following can be achieved.
- Liverpool and London can be around two hours with new Class 807 trains or Pendolinos.
- Liverpool and London services can increase their calls in the Midlands.
- London and Glasgow services can be nearly half-an-hour faster.
- The fastest London and Crewe services could be just over an hour using Pendolinos.
I also believe that the only serious infrastructure needed is some track realignment and some updated signalling.
See Also
Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?
High Speed Two To Liverpool
There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of speculation of my own.
The Current Liverpool Service
I shall look at the 08:43 train on the 18th September 2023.
- It was a nine-car Class 390 train or Pendolino, which left on time.
- Euston and Liverpool Lime Street are 193.7 miles apart.
- The train called at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe and Runcorn
- The train arrived at Crewe at 10:24 and left at 10:26.
- The train arrived at Runcorn at 10:43 and left at 10:44.
- The train arrived at Liverpool Lime Street at 11:04 on time.
- The journey took two hours and 21 minutes
- The average speed was 82.4 mph.
- The Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street section is 39.7 miles and the train is scheduled to take forty minutes.
- The average speed between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street is almost exactly 60 mph.
- The slower average speed is because the train is slowing for a gradual stop in Liverpool and the only fast section is the 110 mph section between Crewe and Weaver Junction, where the Liverpool Branch leaves the West Coast Main Line.
- There is one train per hour (tph).
There are probably only limited ways that time can be saved between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.
- The West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Weaver Junction takes twelve minutes and has an operating speed of 110 mph, so saving a few minutes might be possible, by upgrading the speed on this line with digital signalling to allow 140 mph running.
- It might be possible to save a couple of minutes at the Runcorn stop by using the superior performance of the new Class 807 or High Speed Two trains.
- The slowing down into and accelerating out of Liverpool might be improved by digital signalling and trains with better performance.
It should be noted that Liverpool Lime Street station was recently remodelled to improve operation of the station and the tracks connecting it to Runcorn.
I would be fairly sure that Network Rail and Avanti West Coast have got Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street times to a minimum. As this route will become part of High Speed Two, I suspect that Network Rail/Avanti have done extensive computer simulations of the route, to make sure they get it as quick and efficient as possible.
The New Class 807 Trains
The Class 807 trains, which enter service this year or early next, are the Lotuses in Hitachi’s AT 300 family of high speed trains.
- They are electric only and have no heavy diesel engines or traction batteries.
- They don’t even have emergency batteries for when the catenary fails.
- They have a redesigned nose. Is it more aerodynamic?
- As with all the other Hitachi high speed trains, they are capable of 125 mph, or 140 mph if the signalling permits.
These trains will undoubtedly have faster acceleration and deceleration and could probably knock minutes off the timings at all the stops.
A Second Hourly Train To Liverpool
Tucked away beside the Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions article in the December 2022 Edition of Modern Railways is a report on Avanti West Coast’s application for a second service between Euston and Liverpool.
This is said.
Avanti West Coast has applied for access rights for its second hourly Euston to Liverpool service, starting from December 2023, although a phased introduction of the new service is likely. This would make use of Avanti’s new fleet of 10×7-car Class 807 Hitachi EMUs, which are expected to enter service from Autumn 2023. The ‘807s’ would be deployed on the current hourly Liverpool service, on which a call at Liverpool South Parkway would be added. (provision is made for this in the December 2022 timetable.).
Pendolinos would then operate the second service each hour, calling at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth.
A linespeed project is in progress to raise the permissible speed for non-tilting trains on the West Coast Main Line, and Avanti’s new Hitachi trains will take advantage of this.
Note.
- The current Liverpool service stops at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe and Runcorn.
- Liverpool South Parkway station is too short for the longest Pendolinos or Class 390/1 trains.
- When the second service is implemented will it stop at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway?
- Will the Pendolinos only stop at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth?
Will Avanti West Coast use the trains to take advantage of their strengths?
- The new lighter Class 807 trains will use their superior acceleration and deceleration to execute fast stops at more stations.
- The shorter Class 807 trains will call at Liverpool South Parkway.
- The current Pendolinos will use their tilt to run as fast as possible between London Euston and Liverpool.
I also suspect that Avanti West Coast will adjust the stopping pattern to attract passengers. I read somewhere, that a stop at Nuneaton to connect to Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport, was a possibility.
More Details Of A Second Hourly Train To Liverpool – 30th September 2023.
Real Time Trains is now showing the details of the second service between London Euston and Liverpool.
These are the future timings of the 09:13 train from Liverpool.
- Liverpool – Leave at 09:13
- Runcorn – Arrive at 09:28 and leave at 09:29½
- Crewe – Arrive at 09:49 and leave at 09:56
- Stafford – Arrive at 10:14½ and leave at 10:16½
- Lichfield Trent Valley – Arrive at 10:29½ and leave at 10:31½
- Tamworth – Arrive at 10:36½ and leave at 10:38½
- Nuneaton – Arrive at 10:49 and leave at 10:51
- Milton Keynes Central – Arrive at 11:21 and leave at 11:23
- Euston – Arrive at 11.59
Note.
- This service has not been activated yet.
- It is pathed for a Class 80x train.
- There are seven stops.
- It will take two hours and 46 minutes.
- Liverpool and Crewe will take 36 minutes.
- There are two other inactivated services like this running through Birmingham and Northampton.
Could these services have been timetabled to test connectivity?
High Speed Two Classic Compatible Trains
These High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains are to be built for High Speed Two.
- They will be able to run on both High Speed Two and current high speed lines like the East Coast Main Line and the West Coast Main Line.
- They will have an operating speed of 205 mph on High Speed Two.
- They will be able to operate at appropriate speeds on existing high speed lines. Typically, that is 125 mph, but with full digital signalling that is 140 mph.
- They are two hundred metres long and are sixty metres shorter than an eleven-car Pendolino.
- They are being built by a Hitachi-Alstom joint venture.
This document on the Government web site is the Train Technical Specification for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
Introducing The High Speed Two Classic Compatible Trains Into Service
Consider.
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street services can be run by eleven-car Pendolinos.
- It looks like after the introduction of the second service between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street is introduced, it will be run by Pendolinos and it could be a two-stop service.
- The High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains should be able to run any service currently run by an eleven-car Pendolino.
So will Avanti West Coast use this second hourly London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street service to introduce the new High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains into public service?
- It would make sure the trains and existing track and signals were fully debugged.
- It would inform the public that High Speed Two is on its way.
- It would be good marketing for High Speed Two.
- They might shave a few minutes off journey times.
- It could use all the existing infrastructure.
- It will provide work for Alstom in Derby.
I feel Avanti West Coast just might!
London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street Before Phase 2a Of High Speed Two Opens
According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, these are the fastest timings.
- London Euston and Crewe – One hour and 30 minutes
- London Euston and Runcorn – One hour and 53 minutes
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – Two hours and 3 minutes
Currently, the fastest London and Liverpool Lime Street trains take two hours and 21 minutes, so are the Class 807 trains going to be eighteen minutes faster?
From these figures and the times of the 0843, I can deduce these journey times.
- Currently, Crewe and Runcorn takes 17 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 23 minutes
- Currently, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street takes 20 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 10 minutes
- Currently, Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street takes 38 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 33 minutes
It looks like there may be slight problems with Wikipedia’s figures. But they were published before Avanti West Coast had run a Class 807 train between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street. I think we’ll have to wait and see what turns up on Saturday, the 9th of December 2023, when the timetables change.
But I do feel now that the Class 807 trains will achieve London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street in two hours and three minutes.
London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street After Phase 2a Of High Speed Two Opens
According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, these are the timings.
- London Euston and Crewe – 56 minutes
- London Euston and Runcorn – One hour and 14 minutes
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – One hour and 32 minutes
From these figures and the times of the 0843, I can deduce these journey times.
- Currently, Crewe and Runcorn takes 17 minutes and High Speed Two will take 18 minutes
- Currently, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street takes 20 minutes and High Speed Two will take 18 minutes
- Currently, Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street takes 38 minutes and High Speed Two will take 36 minutes
There doesn’t seem to be much of a saving between today’s Pendolino and High Speed Two between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.
Could it be that the work to improve Liverpool Lime Street station and its approaches a few years ago sorted out a lot of problems and Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street is now almost to the standard needed for High Speed Two?
If savings are made anywhere by High Speed Two, it could be between Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street.
Looking at the operating speeds on OpenRailwayMap, there appears to be a 30 mph section of track for a couple of miles out of Liverpool Lime Street, which includes a sharp curve.
This Google Map shows the approaches to Lime Street station.
Note.
- The tracks across the top of the map are the main electrified Liverpool and Manchester tracks.
- The building in the middle is Alstom Traincare’s Liverpool Depot.
- The line to Runcorn enters the map in the South-East corner and curves around the depot to join the tracks into Lime Street station.
- The operating speed gradually reduces from 30 mph on this map to less than 15 mph in Lime Street station.
Perhaps, this 30 mph section is to be improved to gain the couple of minutes.
I also think, that savings could be possible at Runcorn station.
If when the second service starts, the Pendolinos don’t stop at Runcorn, that would save a few minutes.
The Class 807 and the High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains with their superior acceleration and deceleration could save a couple of minutes in the stop at Runcorn.
I very much feel that as the Pendolinos manage to achieve Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street in 38 minutes, that Pendolinos on the second service, Class 807 and the High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, will all manage 36 minutes or less on the route.
London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street After Phase 2b Of High Speed Two Opens
There will be no changes as the full-size High Speed Two trains are not planned to run into Liverpool Lime Street.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that the Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street leg of High Speed Two is more or less complete.
Times between London and Liverpool will be as follows.
- Before High Speed Two Phase 2a – 2 hours and 3 minutes
- After High Speed Two Phase 2a – 1 hour and 32 minutes
- After High Speed Two Phase 2b – 1 hour and 32 minutes
I believe that for many this will be fast enough, especially as it’s nearly complete.
See Also
Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?
Would It Be Possible For The Bakerloo And Watford DC Lines To Use The Same Trains? – 6th March 2023 Update
These two lines are very different.
- The Bakerloo Line is a classic London Underground Line with 25 stations and services run by 1972 Stock trains.
- The Watford DC Line is part of the London Overground with 19 stations and services run by Class 710 trains.
Ten stations are shared between the lines, of which only one; Queen’s Park offers level boarding.
The Shared Stations
The nine shared stations often have considerable steps up and down, as at Willesden Junction station, which is shown in Train-Platform Interface On Platform 1 At Willesden Junction.
I am rather pleased and pleasantly surprised, that there are not more accidents at the shared stations, but using the line must be a nightmare for wheelchair users, buggy pushes and large case draggers.
If Transport for London proposed building a line like this, they would have to launch it at the Hammersmith Apollo, where comedians perform.
The One Train Type Solution
To my mind, there is only one solution. The two services must use the same type of trains.
These are a few thoughts on the trains.
Trains Would Be Underground-Sized
As the trains will have to work through the existing tunnels to Elephant & Castle station, the trains would have to be compatible with the tunnels and therefore sized for the Underground.
I suspect they would be a version of the New Tube for London, that are currently being built by Siemens for the Piccadilly Line.
New Tube For London And Class 710 Train Compared
This Siemens infographic summarises the New Tube For London.
These figures are from Wikipedia.
- Cars – NTFL – 9 – 710 – 4
- Car Length – NTFL – 12.6 metres – 710 – 20 metres
- Train Length – NTFL – 113.4 metres – 710 – 80 metres
- Seated Passengers – NTFL – 268 – 710 – 189
- Total Passengers – NTFL – 1076 – 710 – 678
- Passenger Density – NTFL – 9.5 per metre – 710 – 8.2 per metre
- Speed – NTFL – 62 mph – 710 – 75 mph
Note.
- The figures for the Class 710 train are for a four-car train.
- The passenger density and speed are closer than I thought they’d be.
- I’m sure Siemens can design a longer and/or faster train if required for the Euston service.
I feel that the New Tube for London design could be adjusted , so that it could work the Watford DC service.
Platform Modifications
I suspect that the New Tube for London will be lower than the Class 710 train and all platforms would need to be lowered to fit the new trains.
I would also suspect that it would be easier to lower platforms, than modify them, so that they had dual-height sections to satisfy two classes of train.
It should be noted that the New Tube for London has shorter cars than the sixteen metre 1972 Stock trains currently used on the line, so there will be smaller gaps at stations with curved platforms like Waterloo.
I believe that with one class of train, all of the stations on the Bakerloo and Watford DC Lines could be made step-free between train and platform.
Platform Height On Platform 9 At Euston
I took these pictures on Platform 9 at Euston station.
Note that it is rather a high step into the train and there is a large gap.
But if say, a modern London Underground train from say the Victoria Line pulled into the platform would it be a better fit?
Platform Height At Kilburn High Road Station
These pictures show Kilburn High Road station.
I should have taken more pictures, but the step between the platform and train is similar to Platform 9 at Euston.
Platform Height At South Hampstead Station
These pictures show South Hampstead station.
I should have taken more pictures, but again the step between the platform and train is similar to Platform 9 at Euston.
Were The Platforms At Euston, South Hampstead And Kilburn High Road Built For Another Class Of Train?
This Wikipedia entry is for the London Underground Watford Joint Stock train, where this is said.
The Watford Joint Tube Stock was built for the service to Watford along both the Bakerloo tube and the London North Western Railway. As a result, the cars were owned by both the Underground and the London North Western Railway. To be able to operate on both lines, the car floors were 4+1⁄2 inches (110 mm) higher than other tube cars. This was a compromise height between the platform heights on the two lines.
The cars were ordered in 1914, but construction was delayed by The First World War. As a result, the first cars were not delivered until early 1920.
Note.
- The Wikipedia entry has links to some images of which this is one.
- They must have been rather cramped trains if they were built for deep tunnels and had a floor that was 110 mm higher, than other tube trains.
It certainly appears to be possible to design a train, that would fit both lines.
But would it fit modern regulations and give full step-free access?
Queen’s Park And Euston
This map from cartometro.com, shows the route between Queen’s Park and Euston stations.
Note.
- The Watford DC Line is shown in orange.
- Queen’s Park station is to the West of Kilburn High Road station.
- It appears that Watford DC Line trains always use Platform 9 at Euston station.
The route seems to be a self-contained third-rail electrified line into Euston station.
On the subject of electrification between Queen’s Park and Euston stations, there would appear to be a choice between the third-rail system and London Underground’s four-rail system.
But it is rumoured that the New Tube for London will have a battery capability.
As Euston and Queen’s Park stations are only 3.7 miles apart, perhaps the choice would be to use battery power into Euston station, which would remove electrified rails from Euston?
How Many Trains Could Run Into Euston?
Currently, four trains per hour (tph) run into Euston.
It is generally accepted that six tph can use a single platform. But would this be enough?
I suppose there is the possibility of tunnelling under Euston station to a pair of terminal platforms.
In that case the current platform could be used by other services.
Southern’s Milton Keynes And Clapham Junction Service
This service wouldn’t be affected as it uses the fast lines between Willesden and Watford Junction.
Advantages Of One Train Type On The Bakerloo And Watford DC Lines
I can think of these advantages.
- Step-free access between train and platform, should be achieved.
- A unified fleet.
- A higher frequency between Euston and Willesden Junction stations.
- Higher frequency where needed.
- If trains had a battery capability, Euston could be free of third-rail electrification.
As only one type of train will be using the Watford DC line between Euston and Watford Junction, this could result in operational efficiencies.
Linking Of The Bakerloo And Abbey Lines
This could be the biggest advantage of all.
This map from cartometro shows the lines at Watford Junction station.
Note.
- The orange lines are the current Watford DC Line services of the London Overground, terminating in platforms 1 to 4 of Watford Junction station.
- These lines would be taken over by the unified Bakerloo/Watford DC Line services, running nine-car New Tubes For London.
- The next station to the South is Watford High Street.
- The West Coast Main Line goes through the station and uses platforms 5 to 10.
- At the North of the station is Platform 11 on the Abbey Line which leads roughly North East to St. Albans.
Look at how the Abbey Line is more or less in line with the twin-tracks of the Watford DC Line.
Recently, during the Bank Station Upgrade, a 488 metre long single track tunnel was built to divert the Southbound Northern Line.
This tunnel was not dug with a tunnel boring machine, but traditionally by hand, using men, picks, shovels and I suspect a few small machines.
I believe, that a similar technique could be used to dig a tunnel, to connect the Abbey Line and the Watford DC Line.
- It would only be single-track
- It would probably be less than 500 metres long.
- It would connect to the Abbey Line to the South of Platform 11.
- It would be deep-level tube-sized.
- It might be dug by hyperTunnel.
- Geography wouldn’t allow the tunnel to terminate in the Watford DC Line platforms at Watford Junction station.
But where would the terminal be on the Southern side of the West Coast Main Line?
This map from OpenRailwayMap, shows the two routes between Watford Junction and Bushey stations.
Note.
- Watford Junction station is at the top of the map.
- The orange line is the West Coast Main Line.
- The yellow line looping to the West of the West Coast Main Line is the double-track Watford DC Line.
- Bushey station is at the bottom of the map, where the two rail lines meet.
- Watford High Street station is in the middle of the map on the Watford DC Line.
The new service could certainly take the Watford DC Line as far as Watford High Street station.
- The station is close to the centre of Watford, the hospital and Vicarage Road stadium.
- But there is no space for a terminal platform.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the disused railways to the West of Watford High Street station.
Note.
- The yellow loop at the East of the map is the Watford DC Line.
- Watford High Street station is on this loop.
- There is a triangular junction, that connects the former Croxley Green branch to the Watford DC Line.
- The terminus at Croxley Green station is marked by a blue arrow.
- There used to be intermediate stations at Cassiobridge, Watford West and Watford Stadium.
- This route was used for the failed attempt to build the Croxley Rail Link.
But could a Western extension of the Abbey Line be built?
- It would terminate at either Croxley Green or Cassiobridge.
- There would be intermediate stations at Watford West, Watford Stadium and Watford High Street.
- There would be two tph.
- Trains would be nine-car New Tubes For London.
- The current Abbey Line is 6.4 miles and would be run using battery power, with possible charging at St. Albans Abbey station.
- The tunnel under the West Coast Main Line would be run on battery power.
- The Western extension from Watford High Street station would be run using battery power, with possible charging at the Western end.
I believe, an extended Abbey Line could be a viable alternative to the ill-fated Croxley Rail Link.
- I have used battery power, as I doubt Health and Safety would allow any new third-rail electrification.
- I have used nine-car New Tubes For London for the extended Abbey Line, as their small cross-section would allow a smaller tunnel and they would be certified for running in tunnels.
- Some platforms on the Abbey Line would need to be lengthened, but these would be the only modifications, other than the possible installation of the charging system.
- The extended Abbey Line would serve Watford Hospital and Vicarage Road.
The capacity of the extended Abbey Line would be substantially more than the current line.
Conclusion
A common fleet used by the Bakerloo and Watford DC Line would appear to give advantages and it has been done successfully before.
But what the Bakerloo Line, the Watford DC Line, the Abbey Line and the Bakerloo Line Extension need is a good dose of holistic design.
Thoughts On Watford DC Line Electrification At Euston Station
I was in Euston station this morning and took these pictures of the electrification on Platform 9.
Note.
- Watford DC Line trains usually use Platform 9.
- The first two pictures show the 750 DC third rail electrification.
- The last three pictures show the 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The train is a five-car Class 710/3 train, which is a dual-voltage train.
The train’s pantograph was in the down position, as far as I could see.
This Google Map shows the ends of Platforms 6 to 11 at the station.
Note.
- The platforms have their numbers painted on the end.
- The train in the top-left corner of the image is in Platform 5.
- Platforms 9 and 10 appear to be fitted with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- All Platforms also seem to have 25KVAC overhead electrification.
So platforms 9 and 10 appear to be able to handle trains which need either form of electrification. When I took the first set of pictures, there was a Class 350 train in Platform 10.
These dual voltage platforms 9 and 10, may help with the operation of the station.
I have some questions.
Do TfL Intend To Increase Watford DC Line Services?
Currently, the services on the Watford DC Line are as follows.
- Four trains per hour (tph) between Euston and Watford Junction stations.
- In the last few weeks, I’ve seen both four-car Class 378 and five-car Class 701 trains on the route.
- All trains that work the route appear to be dual voltage.
This TfL infographic illustrates their plans.
It says Watford and Euston would be run by five-car trains at a frequency of four tph.
TfL have ordered six five-car Class 701/3 trains for the Watford DC service.
Will The Watford DC Platforms Be Moved In The Euston High Speed Two Rebuild?
The operation of the Watford DC Line works well at present, but as Euston station is going through a major rebuild for High Speed Two, the platforms could be moved or rebuilt.
Would Health and Safety object to laying third-rail electrification and insist that Watford DC services used 25 KVAC to access Euston?
They could do this, as all trains running on the Watford DC Line are dual-voltage trains.
Would Removing Third-Rail Electrification From Euston Station Improve Safety?
Health and Safety would say it did and as the trains are dual-voltage, they could transition at Queen’s Park or South Hampstead stations.
An Alternative To Changing The Electrification
The distance between Euston and Queen’s Park stations is just under four miles.
In Will London Overground Fit On-board Energy Storage To Class 378 Trains?, I asked whether it would be worthwhile.
I finished with these two sentences.
I have no idea how much electricity would be saved by regenerative braking on the London Overground, but various applications of regenerative braking technology talk of electricity savings of between ten and twenty percent.
I think it is only a matter of time before the technology is proven to be sufficiently reliable and the numbers add up correctly for the Class 378 trains to be fitted with on-board energy storage.
What would be the advantages from fitting on-board energy storage?
- There would be the savings of electricity by the use of regenerative braking to the batteries.
- Trains could be rescued from the Thames Tunnel, if there was a power failure.
- Hotel power would be maintained, if there was a power failure.
- Trains can be moved in depots and sidings without power.
- Trains would be able to move in the event of cable theft.
- The battery would probably have sufficient capacity to move the train into and out of Euston.
There could be a saving in train operating costs and safety would be improved.
TfL Considers Replacing Over Half Of London Overground Trains Within The Next 4 Years
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on MyLondon.
This is the sub-heading.
The trains were specially built for the dimensions of the Overground network
This paragraph outlines, why the trains may be replaced.
The 57 Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ trains which provide the majority of services on London Overground could disappear as soon as June 2027, as Transport for London (TfL) officials decide what to do with them as their leases expire. The five carriage walkthrough trains have helped revolutionise the Overground network, being built to special dimensions to fit the unique profile of the suburban routes they run on – notably the East London line, where trains use the narrow single-bore Thames Tunnels.
Note.
- The Class 378 trains, which I use regularly, still seem to be performing well!
- They could do with a lick of paint and a tidying up in places.
- Would it be too much to ask for power sockets and wi-fi?
- The other London Overground trains, the Class 710 trains can’t run through the Thames Tunnel on the East London Line, as they have no means to evacuate passengers in the tunnel in an emergency.
- More Class 378 trains are needed for the East London Line to increase services, but these can be obtained by transferring trains from the North London Line and replacing those with new Class 710 trains.
I live near the two Dalston stations on the London Overground and the thing we need most is more capacity.
I have some thoughts on London Overground’s future trains.
Increased Services On The Current Network
Plans exist to increase the frequency on various London Overground services and this graphic sums up what was planned a few years ago.
Note the extra two trains per hour (tph) between the following stations.
- Clapham Junction and Stratford
- Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace
- Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction
- Enfield Town and Liverpool St. via Seven Sisters
I think only Route 1 services have been increased.
I know signalling updates are holding up the extra trains on the East London Line, but are more trains needed to fully implement the extra services?
- Routes 2 and 3 services will need Class 378 trains because of the tunnel and these would be transferred from the North London Line.
- Route 4 would need Class 710 trains, as the service already uses them.
So there may be a need for more Class 710 trains.
West London Orbital Railway
The graphic doesn’t mention the West London Orbital Railway.
- There would be two routes between West Hampstead and Hounslow and Hendon and Kew Bridge using the Dudding Hill Line.
- The tracks already exist.
- Some new platforms and stations would be needed.
- The route would probably need improved signalling.
- Four tph on both routes would probably be possible.
- The West London Orbital Railway would connect to the Great Western Railway, the North London and Elizabeth Lines and High Speed Two at Old Oak Common station.
I believe it could be run by battery-electric versions of either the Class 378 or Class 710 trains. This would avoid electrification.
As some commentators have suggested that the West London Orbital Railway and the Gospel Oak and Barking Line would be connected, I would expect that new battery-electric Class 710 trains would be used.
Adding On-board Energy Storage To The Class 378 Trains
In Will London Overground Fit On-board Energy Storage To Class 378 Trains?, I asked whether it would be worthwhile.
I finished with these two sentences.
I have no idea how much electricity would be saved by regenerative braking on the London Overground, but various applications of regenerative braking technology talk of electricity savings of between ten and twenty percent.
I think it is only a matter of time before the technology is proven to be sufficiently reliable and the numbers add up correctly for the Class 378 trains to be fitted with on-board energy storage.
What would be the advantages from fitting on-board energy storage?
- There would be the savings of electricity by the use of regenerative braking to the batteries.
- Trains could be rescued from the Thames Tunnel, if there was a power failure.
- Hotel power would be maintained, if there was a power failure.
- Trains can be moved in depots and sidings without power.
- Trains would be able to move in the event of cable theft.
- Short route extensions might be possible.
- Could battery power be used to serve Euston during the rebuilding process for High Speed Two?
- Do Network Rail want to remove third-rail electrification from Euston station for safety or cost reasons?
There could be a saving in train operating costs.
We know the trains are coming up for a new lease.
Suppose the leasing company fitted them with new batteries and some other customer-friendly improvements like new seat covers, better displays, litter bins, power sockets and wi-fi.
- The leasing company would be able to charge more, as they have added value to the trains.
- TfL would be saving money due to less of an electricity bill.
- The passenger numbers might increase due to the extra customer-friendly features.
- Electrification might be removed from places where theft is a problem.
- Third-rail electrification could be removed from Euston station. It’s only 2.8 miles to South Hampstead station, where third-rail electrification already exists.
Get it right and passengers, TfL, Network Rail and the leasing company would all be winners.
A First Ride In A Five-Car Class 710 Train – 30th January 2023
These pictures are from a few weeks back, when I had a first ride in one of the new five-car Class 710 trains.
I only went between Euston and Queen’s Park stations.
Is Liverpool Going To Get High Speed One-Point-Five?
Some of the best train journeys, I’ve ever had were not on high speed trains on specially-built tracks.
- The Thunder of Three-Thousand Three-Hundred Horses is from the early 1970s and describes a trip back from Darlington behind a Class 55 locomotive or Deltic.
- Norwich-In-Ninety Is A Lot More Than Passengers Think! describes a trip from London to Norwich and back, in the early days of the Norwich-in-Ninety timetable behind a Class 90 locomotive.
- I could add a journey on an InterCity 125 from London to Plymouth, which was running nearly thirty minutes late at Newbury, but was on time at Exeter.
The connection between these stories, was that all had a superb biological control system in the cab, who with help from the signallers was able to keep to a difficult schedule or make up time.
Last year, I made several journeys between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street. A couple of the journeys were unusual in that we arrived at our destination around six or more minutes early.
I suspect, that Avanti West Coast were experimenting to make sure that they get the new two trains per hour (tph) for the route perfect.
In Avanti West Coast Looks To Recover, I said this about Euston and Liverpool Lime Street services.
A paragraph talks about the second hourly service between London and Liverpool.
Avanti still has ambitions to introduce a second hourly service between Euston and Liverpool, but when this will come in will depend on demand recovery.
Consider.
- If would be desirable if some or all trains running on the route could achieve a timing of two hours between London and Liverpool.
- It is felt that the second service should stop at Liverpool South Parkway station, where the platforms are too short for eleven-car Class 390 trains.
- Avanti have stated they would like more stops in the Trent Valley, especially at Nuneaton, where they would connect to services to the East Midlands.
- Nuneaton is almost exactly halfway between London and Liverpool.
- Running two tph with Class 807 trains would need nine trains and Avanti have only ordered ten in total.
I believe that a practical timetable like this could work.
- Class 390 train – one tph – Non-stop or perhaps a single stop in the Midlands – Under two hours
- Class 807 train – one tph – Stopping at Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway – Current time or better
An hourly service between London and Liverpool in under two hours would surely be a passenger magnet.
So what is possible?
I found this service on Real Time Trains, which ran on the 16th February 2023.
- Scheduled to leave Liverpool Lime Street at 0943, but left at 1012 or 29 minutes late.
- Train did a ninety second unadvertised stop at Liverpool South Parkway. Now running 26 minutes late.
- There was a two minute stop at Runcorn and a four-minute stop at Crewe. Now running 25 minutes late
- There was a one-minute stop at Milton Keynes. Now running 20 minutes late.
- The train arrived in London Euston at 1220 or 16 minutes late.
Note.
- Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston took 2 hours and 8 minutes.
- As Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is a distance of 193.6, a 128 minute journey is an average speed of 90.7 mph
- Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe took 32 minutes with two stops.
- Crewe and London Euston took 1 hour and 32 minutes with one stop.
- In West Coast Main Line Electro-Diesels On Test, I found that a Glasgow and London train took 1 hour and 28 minutes between Crewe and London Euston.
- All services last week had the unadvertised stop at Liverpool South Parkway
What can be deduced from these figures?
- If the Crewe stop were to be cut out, two hours and four minutes could certainly be possible between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston with a Class 390 train.
- I also suspect that if the train were to be run non-stop, that the other four minutes could be saved.
So will Avanti West Coast run the current service using new Class 807 trains, with the extra stop at Liverpool South Parkway and perhaps other stations and the additional hourly train with a non-stop nine-car Class 390 train?
This way of delivering a two tph service would mean.
- Runcorn, Crewe and Milton Keynes would not lose any of their current fast services to and from Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- Liverpool South Parkway station is probably a more convenient location for some passengers going to and from the South. It would gain an hourly service to London Euston.
- There will be an additional 77% of seats between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- Passengers who don’t like tilting trains could use the Class 807 trains.
- One tph would be timed for two hours or under and would be a marketing man’s dream.
No train would be slower than the current services.
Improvements To The Non-Stop Class 390 Train Service
I earlier said.
As Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is a distance of 193.6, a 128 minute journey is an average speed of 90.7 mph.
An average speed of 90.7 mph, doesn’t seem fast for a Class 390 train with an operating speed of 125 mph or 140 mph under full ERTMS digital signalling.
These are some times for a selection of average speeds between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- 90 mph – 2 hours 9 minutes
- 100 mph – 1 hour 56 minutes
- 110 mph – 1 hour 46 minutes
- 120 mph – 1 hour 37 minutes
- 125 mph – 1 hour 33 minutes
- 130 mph – 1 hour 29 minutes
- 135 mph – 1 hour 26 minutes
- 140 mph – 1 hour 23 minutes
Note.
- Average speeds of upwards of 130 mph are unlikely, but I’ve added them to show that the train speed is less important than the speed of the track.
- High Speed Two’s planned time between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is 1 hour and 32 minutes.
But I do think times of around 1 hour and 35 minutes should be possible for non-stop Class 390 trains between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston with an improved track and full ERTMS digital signalling.
Improvements To The Stopping Class 807 Train Service
As the track of the West Coast Main Line is improved with better track and full ERTMS digital signalling, this will also benefit the times of the stopping service run by the new Class 807 trains.
The Class 807 train with its lighter weight will have better acceleration than the current Class 390 trains. This will mean, that they will not be slowed as much, when they stop.
It may be possible to add extra stops at places like Watford Junction, Nuneaton and Stafford and still time the train for a few minutes over two hours.
Avanti West Coast Looks To Recover, is a post, that I wrote based on an interview in Modern Railways with Phil Whittingham, who is MD of Avanti West Coast.
There is a lot of talk in the article about.
- Using Nuneaton to connect the North West and the East Midlands.
- The acceleration of the Class 807 trains.
- Improving the Customer Service.
I think that Liverpool will find it is connected to more of the country on services with just a single change.
Conclusion
Liverpool is getting greater connectivity to the Midlands and the South-East of England, with times, that could be improved to be comparable with High Speed Two.
The Anonymous Widower 
