Freightliner’s New Livery
.As I passed through Ipswich yesterday, I took these images of Freightliner’s locomotives in their new livery.
Note.
- Freightliner’s new depot on the town side of the Great Eastern Main Line appears to be fully open.
- Freightliner’s Class 90 locomotives, which they received from Greater Anglia now seem to be in the new livery.
- Freightliner’s Class 08 shunter is also shown in the new livery.
It also looked like up to four Class 90 locomotives were parked by Ipswich station.
This Google Map shows the tracks at the Western end of Ipswich station.
Note.
- The Greater Anglia Class 755 train in Platform 1 of Ipswich station.
- The two Freightliner Class 90 locomotives in the old green livery in the locomotive parking.
- I wonder, if freight trains are now changing to electric haulage after being hauled out of Felixstowe into Ipswich Yard, before continuing their onward journey.
Yesterday, by the use of Real Time Trains, I found these trains changed to electric haulage at Ipswich.
- 0250 – 436K – Felixstowe North to Garston – Changed back to diesel at Crewe.
- 0912 – 496K – Felixstowe North to Trafford Park – Changed back to diesel at Crewe.
- 0932 – 497K – Felixstowe North to Ditton
- 1113 – 412L – Felixstowe North to Trafford Park
- 2046 – 410M – Felixstowe North to Trafford Park
- 2152 – 412M – Felixstowe North to Garston – Changed back to diesel at Crewe.
These are my thoughts.
Changing Locomotives At Ipswich
It seems to take about 25 minutes to change a locomotive from diesel to electric.
At Ipswich, this seems to fairly easy.
- The freight train from Felixstowe stops in Ipswich Yard to the West of the station.
- The diesel locomotive is detached and probably moved to the yard to the South of the station.
- The electric locomotive is moved from by the station and attached to the train.
- The train goes on its way using electric traction.
All locomotive movements don’t seem to be too challenging.
Could More Electric Services Be Run?
I found these paths yesterday, where services left Felixstowe and went South to London.
- Coatbridge – 1
- Ditton – 2
- East Midlands Gateway – 1
- Garston – 2
- Hams Hall – 2
- Lawley Street – 3
- Trafford Park – 5
- Wentloog – 3
This is a total of nineteen trains and currently only six are electrified between Ipswich and London.
Would Bi-Mode Locomotives Be More Efficient?
In GB Railfreight Plans Order For Future-Proofed Bi-Mode Locomotives, I wrote about how GB Railfreight were planning to acquire a fleet of bi-mode locomotives.
In the related post, I said this.
I feel that, as the locomotive must fit current routes and schedules, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the following specification.
- UK loading gauge.
- Co-Co
- Class 90 locomotive power and operating speed on electricity of 3.7 MW and 110 mph.
- Class 66 locomotive power and operating speed on diesel of 2.5 MW and 75 mph.
- Ability to change between electric and diesel power at speed.
- Ability to haul a heavy freight train out of Felixstowe.
- Ability to haul passenger trains.
Stadler will have one eye on the fact, that if they get this design right, this order for up to fifty locomotives could be just the start.
These locomotives would be ideal for Felixstowe to Ditton, Garston and Trafford Park.
- They would eliminate changing locomotives on these routes.
- They would reduce carbon emissions and fuel usage.
- They would be able to run at at least 100 mph on the Great Eastern and West Coast Main Lines.
They might also open up other partially electrified routes from Felixstowe via London.
Felixstowe And Wentloog
Wentloog freight terminal in South Wales.
In Movable Overhead Electrification To Decarbonise Freight, I used the Ipswich and Wentloog route to show how a long route could be decarbonised by the use of moveable electrification.
Conclusion
It looks like a philosophy is emerging to decarbonise a large proportion of freight services out of the Port of Felixstowe.
Movable Overhead Electrification To Decarbonise Freight
The title of this post is the same as that as this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The use of a moveable overhead conductor rail to eliminate the need to use diesel locomotives at freight terminals where traditional fixed electrification equipment would obstruct loading and unloading is being demonstrated in the UK, and a trial in India is planned.
The Railway Gazette article also has two pictures, which show the overhead conductor rail in two positions.
Ipswich And Wentloog
In A Class 93 Locomotive Hauling A Train Between The Port Of Felixstowe And Wentloog, I wrote about running freight trains between Felixstowe and Wentloog using a Class 93 locomotive.
Currently, there appear to be three services a day each way between Felixstowe and Wentloog.
- They are diesel hauled.
- The Class 66 locomotive can’t travel faster than 75 mph.
- The route between Ipswich and Wentloog is fully-electrified.
- Other services that go from Felixstowe to the rest of the UK via London, are sometimes hauled by a Class 90 locomotive from Ipswich.
- Class 90 electric locomotives can haul trains at up to 110 mph.
This Google Map shows the layout of Wentloog freight terminal.
Fitting a moveable overhead conductor rail at Wentloog would surely allow carbon-cutting Class 90 locomotives to haul a train, between Ipswich and Wentloog.
How many other freight terminals can be electrified by installing a moveable overhead conductor rail?
Express On A Perpetual Motion Machine. Scientists Create An Electric Train That Will Charge By Gravity
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Saxon.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The world’s first “infinity train” will recharge its electric batteries during deceleration using the force of gravity.
Scientists and engineers from the Australian company Fortescue Future Industries have begun developing the world’s first train that will be powered by gravity. The company plans to spend $50 million on this development over the next two years, according to the Daily Mail.
How Does The Train Work?
According to the article, the sequence of operation appears to be as follows.
- The train starts at the high end of the line.
- The train rolls down the hill to the low end of the line.
- As it descends, it will pick up kinetic energy due to gravity.
- Regenerative braking on the train will be used to charge the battery.
- The train will have a full battery, when it reaches the low end of the line.
- The full battery will then power the empty train back up the hill.
I have a feeling that this will work, where there is a full train coming down the hill and an empty one going up.
In an example, I will assume the following.
- The high end of the line is 100 metres above the low end.
- The train weighs 100 tonnes.
- The full load weighs 100 tonnes.
- Regenerative braking is 100 % efficient.
I can calculate these energy values for a train running down and then up the line.
- A full train just about to descend, which weighs 200 tonnes and is 100 metres up will have a potential energy of 54.4 kWh.
- Whilst descending, this energy will be converted to kinetic energy and the regenerative braking will transfer this energy to the battery, which will then contain 54.4 kWh of electrical energy.
- After descending, the full train, which weighs 200 tonnes and is zero metres up will have a potential energy of 0 kWh.
- After emptying, the empty train, which weighs 100 tonnes and is zero metres up will have a potential energy of 0 kWh.
- After ascending, the the empty train, which weighs 100 tonnes and is 100 metres up will have a potential energy of 27.2 kWh.
- When the train reaches the high end, there will still be 27.2 kWh left in the battery.
Note.
- After a trip, there will be some energy left in the battery to start the train rolling down the hill on the next trip.
- Effectively, the train is powered by the weight of its cargo, which in Fortescue’s case is very dense iron ore on its trains from Pilbara to the coast.
- In some ways the Infinity train carrying iron ore is a bit like an overshot water wheel, where weight is added to the wheel and this makes the wheel turn.
- The train is driven by the weight of the cargo.
It may look like perpetual motion, but the train needs to be loaded for each trip to increase its potential energy.
I will now look at a passenger train on the same route.
- The high end of the line is 100 metres above the low end.
- The train weighs 100 tonnes.
- I will assume there are 50 passengers in both directions.
- I will assume each weighs 80 Kg with baggage, bikes and buggies, which gives a weight of 4 tonnes.
- Regenerative braking is 100 % efficient.
I can calculate these energy values for a passenger train running down and then up the line.
- A passenger train just about to descend, which weighs 104 tonnes and is 100 metres up will have a potential energy of 28.3 kWh.
- Whilst descending, this energy will be converted to kinetic energy and the regenerative braking will transfer this energy to the battery, which will then contain 28.3 kWh of electrical energy.
- After descending, the full train, which weighs 104 tonnes and is zero metres up will have a potential energy of 0 kWh.
- After emptying and reloading, the empty train, which weighs 104 tonnes and is zero metres up will have a potential energy of 0 kWh.
- After ascending, the the empty train, which weighs 104 tonnes and is 100 metres up will have a potential energy of 28.3 kWh.
Note.
- After a trip, there will be almost no energy left in the battery to start the train rolling down the hill on the next trip.
- If the regenerative braking has an efficiency of less than 100 %, it would be unlikely to work.
But it would work, if an appropriate amount of energy were to be added to the battery at either or both ends of the route.
Could A Passenger Train Like This Work On A Real Route?
In the UK, there are several lines, where a rail line climbs a few hundred metres.
- Cardiff Central and Aberdare
- Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale Town
- Cardiff Central and Merthyr Tydfil
- Cardiff Central and Rhymney
- Cardiff Central and Treherbert
- Glasgow Central and East Kilbride
- Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog
- Manchester Piccadilly and Buxton
- Manchester Piccadilly and Glossop
For the trains to work, I suspect the following is needed.
- Regenerative braking efficiency must be as close to 100 % as possible.
- The total number of passengers going down during the day needs to be at least the same as the total number of passengers going up.
- For passenger trains to work, an appropriate amount of energy needs to be added to the battery at either or both ends of the route.
Freight trains which are transferring weight down the hill will generally always work.
Conclusion
The Infinity Train will work well with heavy freight, but will probably need supplemental charging to work with passenger trains.
Both heavy freight and passenger trains will use less energy, than one working to traditional principles.
DB Cargo UK Successfully Trials The Use Of ‘Combi-Consists’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on DB Cargo UK.
This is the first paragraph.
DB Cargo UK is trialling the use of ‘combi-consists’ to increase capacity, improve customer service and improve its efficiency.
The next four paragraphs describe the trial.
This month the UK’s largest rail freight operator ran a unique jumbo train from Belmont Yard in Doncaster to Barking, East London, carrying a mix of wagons for two altogether different types of customers.
The train consisted of two sets of empty wagons – 21 x MBA wagons for Ward Recycling and 18 x JNA wagons for FCC Environment – with an isolated DIT (dead-in-train) locomotive – in the middle.
The MBA wagons had previously been discharged at Immingham in North Lincolnshire and the JNA wagons discharged at FCC Environment’s new waste transfer facility at Tinsley in South Yorkshire.
Both sets of wagons were then taken to DB Cargo UK’s Belmont Yard depot in Doncaster where the jumbo train was assembled. The train travelled from Belmont Yard to Barking via Lincoln Central, Spalding, The East Coast Mainline, Hertford North and Canonbury Tunnel.
There is also a video embedded in the press release, which shows the formation of the train in detail.
This train is certainly efficient, as it uses less train paths, crew and fuel.
DB Cargo UK now intend to trial the concept on a greater portion of the East Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
I have a few thoughts.
Could The Concept Work With Loaded Trains?
This trial was with empty trains, but would it be possible to use the concept with two shorter loaded trains?
Would there be advantages in terms of efficiency, if the following were done?
- Two container trains leave Felixstowe as a pair, with one going to Plymouth and the other going to Cardiff.
- They split at say Swindon and then proceed independently.
Obviously, all the weights would have to be in order and the locomotive would need to be able to pull the combined train.
Other possibilities might be.
- Stone trains running from the Mendips and the Peak District to London.
- Biomass trains running from import terminals to power stations in the Midlands.
- Trains delivering new cars.
- Trains delivering goods for supermarkets. Tesco are certainly increasing their use of trains.
I would suspect that DB Cargo UK have several ideas.
Could An Electric Locomotive Go In The Middle?
A Class 90 locomotive weighs 84.5 tonnes, as against the 129.6 tonnes of the Class 66 locomotive used in the trial.
So if the electric locomotive can be run dead-in-train, the weight would be slightly less.
But this might give a big advantage, if they ever wanted to run a pair of trains from Felixstowe to Plymouth and Cardiff, as per my earlier example.
- The trains would split anywhere on the electrified section of the Great Western Main Line.
- The lead train would go to Plymouth.
- The second train would go to Cardiff, which is now fully electrified.
There would appear to be possibilities to save carbon emissions.
Could An Electric Locomotive Go On The Front?
Some routes out of Felixstowe are fully-electrified from the Great Eastern Main Line.
It could be possible for the following.
- Two diesel-hauled trains to leave Felixstowe with ubiquitous Class 66 locomotives and form up as a combi-consist train in Ipswich yard.
- The Class 66 locomotive on the front is replaced by an electric locomotive.
- Both Class 90 and Class 92 electric locomotives have twice the power of a Class 66 locomotive, so both should be able to haul the combi-consist train.
The trains would split en-route with the electric locomotive hauling a train to an electrified destination.
This picture shows, what could be an experiment by Freightliner at Shenfield.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to ask the driver, if the Class 66 locomotive was running dead-in-train or helping the Class 90 locomotive with a very heavy load.
The picture shows, that the electric and diesel locomotives can work together, at the front of a train.
Since I took this picture, I’ve never seen a similar consist again.
Could A Bi-Mode Locomotive Go On The Front?
In GB Railfreight Plans Order For Future-Proofed Bi-Mode Locomotives, I talked about how GB Railfreight had started negotiations to purchase a fleet of powerful bi-mode locomotives from Stadler.
- Provisionally, they have been called Class 99 locomotives.
- The locomotives will be Co-Co bi-modes.
- The diesel engine will be for heavy main line freight and not just last-mile operations.
- I suspect that on diesel the power will be at least 2.5 MW to match a Class 66 locomotive.
These locomotives could be ideal for hauling combi-consist trains.
Would Combi-Consist Trains Save Energy?
This could be a big driver of the use of combi-consist trains and may push DB Cargo UK to acquire some powerful bi-mode locomotives.
Conclusion
Combi-consist trains seem to be an excellent idea.
GB Railfreight Plans Order For Future-Proofed Bi-Mode Locomotives
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
GB Railfreight is planning to order a fleet of main line electro-diesel locomotives with a modular design which would facilitate future replacement of the diesel engine with a battery or hydrogen fuel cell module.
The rest of the article gives clues to the deal and the specification of the locomotives.
- Negotiations appear to have started with Stadler for locomotives to be built at their Valencia plant.
- Twenty locomotives could be ordered initially, with options for thirty.
- The locomotive will be Co-Co bi-modes.
- The diesel engine will be for heavy main line freight and not just last-mile operations.
- They would be capable of hauling freight trains between Ipswich and Felixstowe, within two minutes of the times of a Class 66 locomotive.
- They will be of a modular design, so that in the future, the diesel engine might be replaced by a battery or fuel cells as required and possible.
They have provisionally been called Class 99 locomotives.
These are my thoughts.
EuroDual or UKLight?
Stadler make two types of bi-mode locomotives.
But the two types are closely related and open up other possibilities.
This paragraph from the Eurolight wikipedia entry, explains the various versions.
The type has been intentionally developed to support use on secondary lines without limiting power or speed performances, making it suitable for mixed traffic operations. Specific versions of the Eurolight have been developed for the United Kingdom market, and a 6-axle Co’Co’ machine for narrow gauge Asian markets, named UKLight and AsiaLight respectively. Furthermore, an electro-diesel locomotive derivative of the UKLight that shares much of its design, referred to as the Stadler Euro Dual, has also been developed and introduced during the late 2010s.
It looks like the customer can get the locomotive they want.
GB Railfreight would probably need locomotives to this specification.
- Slightly narrower than a EuroDual, to fit the UK loading gauge.
- Three-axle bogies to handle the weight of the larger locomotive.
- A body bigger than the UK Light to be large enough for the diesel engine.
- It would probably help if the locomotive could go anywhere that a Class 92 locomotive could go, so it could handle their duties if required.
This leads me to the conclusion that GB Railfreight will get a slightly narrower EuroDual.
Weight Issues
The weights of various locomotives are as follows.
- Class 66 Locomotive – 129.6 tonnes
- Euro Dual – 126 tonnes
- Class 90 Locomotive – 84.5 tonnes
- Class 92 Locomotive – 126 tonnes
All locomotives have six axles, except for the Class 90 Locomotive which has four.
I don’t think there will be any weight issues.
Power On Electricity
These are the power of the locomotives on electricity.
- Class 66 Locomotive – Not Applicable
- Euro Dual – Up to 7 MW
- Class 90 Locomotive – 3.7 MW
- Class 92 Locomotive – 5 MW
GB Railfreight can probably have what power is best for their routes.
Operating Speed On Electricity
These are the power of the locomotives on electricity.
- Class 66 Locomotive – Not Applicable
- Euro Dual – 100 mph
- Class 90 Locomotive – 110 mph
- Class 92 Locomotive – 87 mph
GB Railfreight can probably have what power is best for their routes, but I suspect they’d want it to be as fast as a Class 90 locomotive.
Power On Diesel
These are the power of the locomotives on diesel.
- Class 66 Locomotive – 2.5 MW
- Euro Dual – Up to 2.8 MW
- Class 90 Locomotive – Not Applicable
- Class 92 Locomotive – Not Applicable
To be able to handle trains, that a Class 66 locomotive is able to, 2.5 MW would probably suffice.
Could The Locomotives Use The Channel Tunnel?
I suspect that diesel locomotives are not liked in the Channel Tunnel because of all that flammable diesel.
But in the future, when there is a battery-electric variant, I would suspect that would be allowed.
In UK To France Automotive Train Service Launched, I talked about Toyota’s new service between Toton in England and Valenciennes in France via the Channel Tunnel. A locomotive with sufficient battery range might be ideal for this service, if it could handle the Market Harborough and Toton section, which is likely to be without electrification for some years.
Will The Locomotives Have Third Rail Shoes?
If their power on electricity is such that they can stand in for Class 92 locomotives, then there may be a need to fit all or some of the locomotives with third rail shoes.
As an example, they might be useful in taking freight trains to and from Southampton or the Channel Tunnel.
Conclusion
I feel that, as the locomotive must fit current routes and schedules, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the following specification.
- UK loading gauge.
- Co-Co
- Class 90 locomotive power and operating speed on electricity of 3.7 MW and 110 mph.
- Class 66 locomotive power and operating speed on diesel of 2.5 MW and 75 mph.
- Ability to change between electric and diesel power at speed.
- Ability to haul a heavy freight train out of Felixstowe.
- Ability to haul passenger trains.
Stadler will have one eye on the fact, that if they get this design right, this order for up to fifty locomotives could be just the start.
It certainly seems a locomotive designed for the UK’s railway system.
Fortescue Unveils World-First Electric Train Using Gravity To Recharge
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on InnovateAus.
These two paragraphs summarise the project.
Fortescue has announced the development of an electric train that recharges itself using gravity, as the Australian resources giant finalises its acquisition of UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering.
Fortescue is dedicating $50 million, in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), for research and development on the Infinity Train, which fully recharges its battery using gravitational energy when it descends.
Note.
- Most of Australia’s iron ore is mined in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
- There are at least four railways in Pilbara leading to the coast.
- As the mines are higher than the coast, the heavily loaded trains will be going downhill, whereas the empties will be going uphill.
- There would certainly appear to be scope for charging going to the coast and coming back on a full battery with the empties.
- 94 % of Australia’s iron ore exports are transported by train from Pilbara to the coast.
There are hundreds of locomotives used for transportation of Iron ore from Pilbara to the coast.
Will Williams Convert Existing Locomotives?
I suspect they will as this is route that Wabtec is taking with their FLXdrive locomotives.
Will Williams Convert Locomotives For Other Pilbara Companies?
I suspect what Andrew Twiggy Forest wants he gets.
Could Williams Convert Other Diesel Electric Locomotives
I suspect they could and I wouldn’t rule out seeing a battery-electric Class 66 locomotive.
I laid out my thoughts in Could Class 66 Locomotives Be Converted Into Battery-Electric Locomotives?.
UK To France Automotive Train Service Launched
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
DB Cargo UK has launched a rail service transporting Corolla hybrid cars manufactured at Toyota’s Derby plant in the UK to Valenciennes in France via the Channel Tunnel, returning with Aygo, Yaris and Yaris+ vehicles.
It sounds very sensible and efficient, as the trains seem full both ways.
Timber Freight Train Runs For First Time In 18 Years
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Network Rail has partnered with Colas Rail in a pilot project to run a timber freight train for the first time in 18 years.
A sawmill in Abergavenny has received the first rail-transported timber since 2004 which was transported 92 miles from Hackney Yard near Newton Abbot.
I do wonder how many other specialised freight trains like these could be run.
As it was only 320 tonnes on eight wagons, it was probably hauled by a diesel Class 66 or Class 70 locomotive.
If there were hydrogen-powered locomotives available, would this encourage more companies to switch from road to rail.
It also appears that for this movement, Network Rail had strengthened a bridge. Are there enough yards, where heavy trucks can access the railway?
Timber Imports
With the situation in Ukraine, I wondered if we imported any timber from Russia, that could perhaps be replaced by locally-grown timber.
I found this page on the Forest Research web site from the UK Government, which is entitled Origin Of Wood Imports.
Our biggest timber imports from Russia are wood pellets and plywood.
Wood pellets are an obvious import, as we also import large amounts from the United States and Canada and all three countries have extensive forests and I suspect they all produce large amounts of woody waste, that is only suitable for making into pellets.
Are we recycling scrap wood and woody waste, as best we can in the UK or are we just burning it on bonfires? The guy opposite lost a tree in the recent storms and a tree surgeon came with a special truck and a shredder to reduce it to small pieces of woody waste. Did that go to make pellets for Drax and other boilers that burn them?
It strikes me, that there may be opportunities For creating or enlarging our own wood pellet industry to cut imports.
Plywood comes mainly from China (37 %), Brazil (18 %), Finland (9 %) and Russia (8 %). Of these, I suspect only one has good environmental standards.
As this softwood plywood for lower-grade applications only needs wood from trees, that we can grow in this country, perhaps we should make a lot more in automated plants.
I’m sure Network Rail would be happy to arrange the transport.
Wind Turbines On A Train
I was searching for something else and found this video.
I wonder, if we’ll ever see wind-turbine blades transferred by rail in the UK!
Probably not, as our railway gauge is too small.
Should The Great Northern And Great Eastern Joint Line Be Electrified?
The Great Northern And Great Eastern Joint Line was created in the Nineteenth Century by the Great Northern Railway and the Great Eastern Railway.
- The main purpose was to move freight like coal, agricultural products and manufactured goods between Yorkshire and Eastern England.
- It originally ran between Doncaster and Huntington via Gainsborough, Lincoln, Sleaford, Spalding and March.
- It had a full length of almost 123 miles.
- There was a large marshalling yard at Whitemoor near March.
Over the years the line has been pruned a bit and now effectively runs between Doncaster and Peterborough.
- Trains between Lincoln and March are now routed via Peterborough.
- It carries upwards of twenty freight trains per day in both directions through Lincoln Central station.
- Many of the freight trains are going to and from the East Coast ports.
- The distance between Doncaster and Peterborough is 93.7 miles, as opposed to the 79.6 miles on the East Coast Main Line.
- The line is not electrified, but it connects to the electrified East Coast Main Line at both ends.
There have been some important developments in recent years.
2015 Freight Upgrade
Wikipedia says this about the major 2015 freight upgrade.
In 2015 a £280 million upgrade of the Joint Line by Network Rail was substantially complete, enabling two freight trains per hour to be diverted from the congested East Coast Main Line; gauge enhancements to enable the passage of 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) containers were included in the work.
The Sleaford avoiding line had been substantially downgraded since the 1980s and was reinstated to double track as part of the 2015 scheme. Resignalling and modernisation of level crossings was included.
This means that freight trains have an alternative route, that avoids the East Coast Main Line.
Doncaster iPort
Over the last few years the Doncaster iPort has been developed, which is an intermodal rail terminal.
- It has a size of around 800 acres.
- The site opened in early 2018.
- There is a daily train to the Port of Southampton and two daily trains to both Teesport and Felixstowe.
- The Felixstowe trains would appear to use the Joint Line.
I feel that as the site develops, the Doncaster iPort will generate more traffic on the Joint Line.
This Google Map shows the Doncaster iPort.
There would appear to be plenty of space for expansion.
The Werrington Dive Under
The Werrington Dive Under has been built at a cost of £ 200 million, to remove a bottleneck at the Southern end of the Joint Line, where it connects to the East Coast Main Line.
The Werrington Dive Under was built, so that it could be electrified in the future.
LNER To Lincolnshire
LNER appear to have made a success of a one train per two hours (tp2h) service between London King’s Cross and Lincoln station.
- LNER have stated, that they want to serve Grimsby and Cleethorpes in the North of the county.
- North Lincolnshire is becoming important in supporting the wind energy industry in the North Sea.
- Lincoln is becoming an important university city.
- Several towns in Lincolnshire probably need a service to Peterborough and London.
- In 2019, the Port of Grimsby & Immingham was the largest port in the United Kingdom by tonnage.
I can see an expanded Lincolnshire service from LNER.
Full Digital Signalling Of The East Coast Main Line To The South Of Doncaster
This is happening now and it will have a collateral benefits for the Joint Line.
Most passenger and freight trains will also use the East Coast Main Line, if only for a few miles, which will mean they will need to be fitted for the digital signalling.
This could mean that extending full digital signalling to Lincolnshire will not be a challenging project.
Arguments For Electrification
These are possible arguments for electrification.
Electric Freight Trains To And From The North
It would be another stretch of line, that could accommodate electric freight trains.
An Electrified Diversion Route For East Coast Main Line Expresses
Currently, when there is engineering blockades between Doncaster and Peterborough on the East Coast Main Line, the Hitachi Class 800 and Class 802 trains of Hull Trains and LNER are able to divert using their diesel power.
But the electric trains of LNER and Lumo have to be cancelled.
An electrified diversion route would be welcomed by passengers and train companies.
It would also mean that any trains running from King’s Cross to electrified destinations would not to have any diesel engines.
An Electrified Spine Through Lincolnshire
If there was an electrified spine between Doncaster and Peterborough via Gainsborough, Lincoln, Sleaford and Spalding, these stations would be these distances from the spine.
- Boston – 16.8 miles
- Cleethorpes – 47.2 miles
- Grimsby Town – 43.9 miles
- Market Rasen – 14.8 miles
- Skegness – 40.7 miles
Note.
- These distances are all possible with battery-electric trains.
- Charging would be on the electrified spine and at Skegness and Cleethorpes stations.
All of South Lincolnshire and services to Doncaster would use electric trains.
London Services
London services would be via Spalding and join the East Coast Main Line at Werrington.
- Boston and Skegness would be served from Sleaford, where the train would reverse.
- Market Rasen, Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes would be served from Lincoln, where the train would reverse.
This would enable Cleethorpes and Skegness to have at least four trains per day to and from London King’s Cross.
North Lincolnshire Services
There are two train services in North Lincolnshire.
Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber.
Cleethorpes and Manchester Airport via Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly.
Note.
- Cleethorpes would need to have a charger or a few miles of electrification, to charge a train from London.
- Doncaster, which is fully electrified is 52.1 miles from Cleethorpes.
- Barton-on-Humber is 22.8 miles from Cleethorpes.
Battery-electric trains should be able to handle both services.
Arguments Against Electrification
The only possible arguments against electrification are the disruption that the installation might cause and the unsightly nature of overhead gantries.
Conclusion
The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line should be electrified.
The Anonymous Widower 