After 104 Years UK’s Longest Train Route Is Cancelled For Ever
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
These three paragraphs describe the last journey.
With a muted fanfare the UK’s longest train rolled out of Aberdeen on Friday morning for its final sojourn down to Penzance, ending a service that connected both ends of the country for more than 100 years.
The 8.20am CrossCountry train took 13 hours and 20 minutes, with stops at 35 stations along the way, to cover the 774-mile route. Passengers spent more than two hours of the journey in the stations.
The service, which was launched in 1921, headed south through York, Bristol, Taunton and Truro on its way past some of the country’s finest landscapes, and arrived in Penzance at 9.31pm.
Looking at a ticket site and it appears that by using two trains from Aberdeen to King’s Cross and Paddington to Penzance you can be a few minutes faster, if you know your Underground.
This route will get quicker.
- As the East Coast Main Line rolls out its new digital signalling, this should speed up trains, by allowing some running at 140 mph instead of the current 125 mph.
- LNER will also be bringing their new tri-mode (electric/battery/diesel) trains into service, which could give some speed improvements on the diesel section North of the Forth Bridge in terms of speed and ride noise, especially as ScotRail will be partially electrifying part of this section.
- GWR should also be upgrading some of their fleet to tri-mode, which should improve speed and ride noise on the sections, where the route is not electrified.
- CrossCountry could compete, by buying new trains, but it would be a big financial risk, as the London route should get quicker, as track improvements and increased use of digital signalling speed up services from London to Aberdeen and Penzance.
CrossCountry ‘s owner; Arriva isn’t standing still, but have applied for extra Grand Central open access services on the East Coast Main Line to Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes and a new service from Newcastle to Brighton via Birmingham, which will partly fill the gap caused by the loss of the Aberdeen and Penzance service, by linking with GWR at Reading and LNER at Newcastle.
Arriva Group Submits Open Access Rail Application To Connect Newcastle And Brighton, Via London Gatwick
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Arriva Group.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- New services operated by Arriva’s Grand Central would introduce a direct rail connection between the Northeast and Midlands to London Gatwick and the South Coast.
- Making better use of available network capacity, the proposed route would connect underserved communities in the UK and enhance long-distance connectivity without the need to interchange through London.
- The application reflects Arriva’s wider European strategy to connect people and places through sustainable transport solutions, strengthening regional economies and supporting modal shift.
This introductory paragraph provides more details.
Arriva Group has today announced it is submitting an open access application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to introduce a new direct rail service between Newcastle and Brighton, via London Gatwick, providing vital connectivity for underserved communities along the route.
Other points to note include.
- There will be five trains per day in each direction.
- The proposed service would call at Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Birmingham New Street, Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Redhill, London Gatwick and Haywards Heath.
- The service would be operated by Grand Central.
- The service could be introduced from December 2026.
It will be the be the first direct service between Newcastle and Brighton.
This final paragraph outlines where the service fits in Arriva’s wider philosophy.
The plans are part of Arriva Group’s broader commitment to strengthening regional connectivity and making better use of available rail capacity. By opening up new travel corridors, Arriva is helping to connect more people to jobs, education and leisure opportunities – and to encourage a greater shift from private cars to public transport.
There are certainly plenty of places in Europe, that could use a service like this one between Brighton and Newcastle.
In The Ultimate Open Access Service, I describe a possible open access service between Amsterdam and Hamburg, which is about the same distance as Brighton and Newcastle, which is 372.8 miles by Arriva’s proposed route.
These are some of my thoughts in no particular order.
A High-Class Service Between Oxford And Brighton Could Be An Interesting Development In Its Own Right
Governments, rail operators and passenger groups of all persuasions and flavours have warmly welcomed the planned reopening of the rail route between Oxford and Cambridge.
I suspect an Oxford and Brighton service would be equally welcomed.
Brighton may not be an academic powerhouse yet, but it does have one thing that Oxford and Cambridge lack ; the sea.
Gatwick Airport Will Surely Welcome The Extra Connectivity
Gatwick Airport will expand and extra rail services will do the following for the airport.
- Make it easier to get the planning permission for the second runway.
- Make it easier for passengers and airport and airline staff to get to the airport.
- Surely, the more direct rail connections the airport has, will increase the likelihood, that families and other groups, will choose to fly from Gatwick.
- More train services could cut the amount of car parking per flight needed at the airport.
Gatwick Airport station has recently rebuilt and added extra capacity, so I doubt there will be trouble accommodating another ten trains per day.
Would The Army Welcome The New Service?
Two of the British Army’s main training areas are in North Yorkshire and in Surrey.
Would they find a train service between the two areas useful?
What Trains Will Grand Central Trains Use For The New Service?
In Arriva Group Invests In New Battery Hybrid Train Fleet In Boost To UK Rail Industry, I talked about how Grand Central will be acquiring Hitachi trains for their routes between London and Bradford and Sunderland.
- These will be Hitachi tri-mode trains.
- The trains will have a range of over forty miles on batteries.
- They will probably be serviced in Yorkshire or the North-East.
- The trains will be built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe, with batteries from Turntide Technologies in Sunderland.
- The first trains will be delivered in 2028.
As Arriva intend to start services from December 2026, they would probably use diesel trains to start with.
I would expect that Grand Central would go for a unified fleet, which would mean more Hitachi tri-mode trains.
For convenience, they could all be serviced at Doncaster, which all Grand Central services will pass through.
What Sections Will Not Be Electrified Between Brighton and Newcastle?
As far as I can see from OpenRailwayMap, the following sections of the route are not electrified.
- Two sections of the North Downs Line – 29 miles.
- Didcot and Birmingham New Street – 80.9 miles
- Birmingham New Street and Derby – 41.3 miles
- Derby and Sheffield – 36.4 miles
- Sheffield and Doncaster – 18.4 miles
Note.
- Electrification South of Reading will be third rail, so some trains will need to have third-rail shoes.
- The length without electrification is a total of 206 miles.
- As Newcastle and Doncaster, Redhill and Brighton, Reading and Didcot, and Birmingham New Street station are all electrified, the longest sections the trains would run without electrification would be between Didcot and Birmingham New Street and between Birmingham New Street and Doncaster.
- The planned electrification between Derby and Sheffield would make life easier.
It appears that trains capable of handling a hundred miles of unelectrified railway are needed.
Hitachi have shown that a five-car train with one battery will travel 70 km (43.5 miles) on a full battery, so one with three batteries should be able to manage the hundred miles needed in a few years.
Will Any Extra Electrification Be Needed?
I think Birmingham New Street station will be the critical point.
- The next electrification on the route to the South of Birmingham New Street is at Didcot, which is 80.9 miles away.
- The next electrification on the route to the North of Birmingham New Street is at Doncaster, which is 96.1 miles away.
These battery ranges should be possible, but an alternative would be to provide an electrified platform at one or more intermediate stations to be safe.
Stations that could be equipped to the South would include Oxford and Banbury and to the North would include Burton-on-Trent, Derby and Sheffield.
Perhaps electrifying a single platform at these stations, should be the first thing to be done, so that battery-electric trains can run on some useful routes as soon as they are delivered and approved.
Electric Trains, Even Battery-Electric Ones, Will Be Quick Off The Mark
Electric trains have good acceleration and I wonder, if this acceleration will enable stops, that are not feasible with diesel trains to be fitted in with electric trains, without having to take the same time penalty.
This might allow useful stops to be added to the service.
- Chesterfield is not mentioned, but most trains passing through stop.
- As I said, Farnborough North could be a useful stop for the Army.
- There might be a case for selective stopping patterns.
Battery-electric trains stop without any noise or pollution.
Connection To The Ivanhoe Line At Burton-on-Trent
The proposed Ivanhoe Line is intended to link Burton-on-Trent and Leicester.
As it is intended that the Newcastle and Brighton service will call ten times per day at Burton-on-Trent station, this must surely improve the economics of the Ivanhoe Line.
Are there any other new or reopened rail schemes, that will be helped by the proposed Brighton and Newcastle service?
Updated Frequencies At Sheffield
Currently, trains at Sheffield have these daily frequencies to the towns and cities on the proposed Newcastle and Brighton route.
- Newcastle – 18
- Durham – 16
- Darlington – 15
- Northallerton – 0
- York – 19
- Doncaster – 64
- Derby – 58
- Burton-on-Trent – 9
- Birmingham New Street – 21
- Warwick Parkway – 0
- Banbury – 0
- Oxford – 3
- Reading – 4
- Wokingham – 0
- Guildford – 0
- Redhill – 0
- London Gatwick – 0
- Haywards Heath – 0
- Brighton – 0
Note.
- Sheffield gets five trains per day (tpd) direct connections to nine new destinations.
- Other useful destinations will get five more tpd.
- Reading is a useful interchange for Wales and the West.
- Guildford is a useful interchange for Portsmouth, Southampton and West Surrey.
- Reading and Guildford have coach services to Heathrow.
There are also a large number of universities along the route.
Hitachi Can Offer A One-Supplier Battery-Electric Train Solution
It should be noted that Hitachi can offer a complete package including battery-electric trains and all the electrification, transformers and other electrical gubbins needed.
So perhaps for the Chiltern Main Line, which is used for part of the route between Didcot and Birmingham, Hitachi could deliver a one-supplier solution, that would also electrify Chiltern’s services between Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street.
Remember, Chiltern are another Arriva Group company.
If Hitachi get this right, I can see other lines being electrified in this way.
Could This One-Supplier Battery-Electric Solution Be Exported?
I discussed this in Arriva Group Invests In New Battery Hybrid Train Fleet In Boost To UK Rail Industry, where I suggested that the United States could be a market.
- Arriva Group are ultimately American-owned.
- Hitachi’s battery technology is also American-owned.
In these days of Trump’s tariffs, these could prove useful facts.
As Arriva Group used to be owned by Deutsche Bahn, they may be another interested party, especially as they have a lot of lines, where I believe Hitachi’s solution would work.
Conclusion
A battery-electric railway service of nearly four hundred miles would certainly attract the passengers.
Does Innovation Get Mr. Ed Miliband Better Prices To Doncaster?
The East Coast Main Line has ticketing unlike any other in the UK.
Turn up at any LNER station to go to any station that is served by trains from that station and you will be given a choice of the best prices at the ticket machines or at the booking office.
Effectively, you are sold your choice of the cheapest Advance tickets for your journey, at the time of booking.
In the last few months, I have taken three trips from London to Doncaster. All were priced between £20 and £25, with one trip on each of Grand Central, Hull Trains and LNER.
Some might argue it is because of the three Open Access operators on the route, that good value is available. But I would argue that it is down to the fact that because of the Open Access operators there is more seats on the route.
This ticketing model should be adopted on the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
The ticketing has certainly modified my behaviour.
If I want to go to Sheffield, I go to Doncaster, as it’s a lot cheaper, then get a local train between Doncaster and Sheffield.
Ed Miliband Is A Doncaster MP
When he is going between his Doncaster North constituency and London, does he use last minute ticketing?
Arriva Group Invests In New Battery Hybrid Train Fleet In Boost To UK Rail Industry
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva Group.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Order worth around £300 million for fleet of new trains, which will increase seats by 20 per cent, improving capacity and connectivity.
- 45 rail cars to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail in the North East and financed by Angel Trains, helping secure highly skilled jobs and unlocking a new advanced manufacturing opportunity for rail.
- State-of-the-art ‘tri-mode’ train technology has proven its ability to cut emissions and fuel costs by around 30 per cent to support UK Government’s decarbonisation agenda.
- Announcement is made from Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory and attended by the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP.
These three paragraphs give more details.
Arriva Group announced today an order for nine cutting-edge battery hybrid trains to replace its entire Grand Central fleet, providing a major boost to regional economies and offering passengers more comfortable, greener travel options.
The order for 45 Hitachi Rail ‘tri-mode’ cars, which have the flexibility to run on electrified and non-electrified tracks, along with a 10-year maintenance contract, represents an investment of around £300 million. Tri-mode means the trains can be powered using electricity, battery or diesel.
It follows approval by the rail regulator for extended track access rights for Grand Central’s existing services through to 2038, with the investment underpinning Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail and to delivering sustainable public transport solutions to communities up and down the country and across Europe.
The trains will be built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe.
I have some further thoughts and questions.
What Distances Will The Trains Run Away From Electrification?
The distances that the various services will run away from electrification are as follows.
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles.
- King’s Cross and Cleethorpes – Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles.
It would appear that a train with a range away from electrification of 55 miles would be enough, if there were to be charging at all the destinations.
Will The Trains Be Able To Take The Great Northern And Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) Diversion Via Lincoln On The East Coast Main Line?
I discussed using this diversion in detail in London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion.
In that post, I said this.
The January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways says that the diversion is approximately 90 miles or 145 kilometers.
If the trains have a 90 mile capability on batteries and/or diesel, they will be able to use the diversion.
As Hull Trains, LNER and Lumo all need this ability to take the GNGE Diversion, I suspect, it will be a tick-box on the order form for the trains.
When Will The Trains Be In Service?
The news item says this.
The trains will be delivered in 2028 under a 10-year leasing arrangement, in partnership and financed by Angel Trains.
Will The New Trains Be Faster?
They might save a couple of minutes, if Doncaster is the first stop.
Will The New Trains Be Quieter?
The news item says this about noise and emissions.
State-of-the-art ‘tri-mode’ train technology has proven its ability to cut emissions and fuel costs by around 30 per cent to support UK Government’s decarbonisation agenda.
Hitachi have said that the diesel engines will not run in stations.
Could The Trains Run Grand Central’s Routes Carbon-Free?
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I came to these conclusions
- The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
- A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
- The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.
As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase.
If I was choosing the trains for Grand Central, the trains would be able to operate these routes without using diesel.
- Doncaster and Bradford Interchange and return.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes and return.
- Longlands junction and Sunderland and return.
Passengers might not like to have noisy passengers.
Probably, the best insurance policy to avoid running out of battery power, would be to have perhaps fifty metres of electrification at terminal stations. Hitachi claim they can offer a nice line in short lengths of electrification.
Quiet Trains Should Attract Passengers
I’ve seen it before and also with buses.
The Number Of Trains Ordered
The basic order is for nine trains, but Railway Gazette says this.
Arriva welcomed the ‘swift decision-making’ by ORR and the backing of the Department for Transport and Network Rail. It has also submitted applications to run more trains to Bradford and introduce services to Cleethorpes, and has an option to buy more trains if these are approved.
I’ve read somewhere that the option is for three extra trains.
So that’s a total of twelve, which would replace the ten Class 180 trains and two Class 221 trains, that Grand Central Trains currently run.
What About Chiltern Railways And CrossCountry?
Train operating companies Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and Grand Central Trains are all wholly owned subsidiaries of Arriva Trains UK, who are described like this in the first paragraph of their Wikipedia entry.
Arriva UK Trains Limited is the company that oversees Arriva’s train operating companies in the United Kingdom. It gained its first franchises in February 2000. These were later lost, though several others were gained. In January 2010, with the take-over of Arriva by Deutsche Bahn, Arriva UK Trains also took over the running of those formerly overseen by DB Regio UK Limited
Arriva is ultimately owned by American infrastructure investment company; I Squared Capital.
Both Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry have trains, that are coming to the date, when they will need to be replaced and similar trains to those ordered by Grand Central could be suitable. to replace some.
Chiltern Railways have six rakes of Mark 3 coaches, that are hauled by diesel locomotives between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations, These rakes of coaches could be replaced by Hitachi tri-mode trains, of perhaps five or six cars.
Chiltern Railways also have about sixty assorted diesel multiple units totalling up to about 150 carriages.
CrossCountry Trains have twenty-nine two- or three-car Class 170 trains and sixty-one four- or five car Class 220 or 221 trains. All these ninety trains were built this century and are diesel-powered.
The Government’s policy of net-zero by 2050, would probably mean a significant number of these smaller diesel multiple units need to be replaced by 2030.
If the Grand Central Trains new Hitachi trains are a success, then changing the longer four-, five- and six-car trains for similar Hitachi trains, would be a low-risk replacement strategy for I Squared Capital, that could be applied at Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry.
I can also see a need for a two-, three- or four-car tri-mode train for Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry.
Was The Date Of The Announcement Significant?
In October 2020, I wrote Hitachi Targets Export Opportunities From Newton Aycliffe and I believe that tri-mode trains like these that Grand Central have ordered could have export opportunities.
One country for exports has possibilities and that is the United States.
- Hitachi AT-300 trains like these don’t need expensive high-speed tracks and there are probably many lines in the United States, where these trains could fit existing tracks.
- This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Hitachi Rail in the USA and Canada.
- In the UK, companies like GWR, LNER, Southeastern and TransPennine Express effectively use theHitachi trains as fast commuter trains on some routes.
- Trump’s tariffs would only be 10 % on these trains.
- The Grand Central version looks very stylish!
- Hitachi’s battery technology is owned by Turntide Technology, who are a US company.
- For some routes, the trains would probably only need to be battery-electric.
Has the experience of running Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and Grand Central Trains convinced I Squared Capital, that running railways is a good investment?
Have I Squared Capital identified some railroads in the United States, that could follow a similar upgrade path to Chiltern Railways?
Was it significant that the order was announced the day after Trump’s tariffs?
.
The Train Trip Where I Arrived Before My Train
Yesterday, I went to Sheffield on Grand Central Trains. But owing to a small mix-up at Peterborough station, I ended up getting to Doncaster on an LNER train, before my Grand Central Train arrived.
This was the sequence of events.
- I bought a ticket from a machine at King’s Cross for Doncaster for the keen single price of £25.70 with my Senior Railcard.
- I had managed to assign myself a forward facing window seat.
- The aisle seat was occupied by a large man before I took my seat.
- But I was able to squeeze past.
- I did tell my travelling companion that I was going to Doncaster., as I have been known to fall asleep on trains and didn’t want to end up in Bradford.
- My train left for Doncaster at 10:52.
- I then found thyself waking up, with the train stopped in a station, which I didn’t recognise.
- So I asked my companion, where we were and he said. “Doncaster!”
- I then squeezed past him again and left the train, only to find, that I had got out at Peterborough.
- Luckily, by the time I realised I was at the wrong station, an LNER train had arrived that was also going to Doncaster.
- So a helpful member of LNER’s station staff told me to get on the LNER train.
- Another helpful member of LNER’s train staff approved my ticket, so I didn’t have to buy another.
- As my new train, passed Retford, we passed the Grand Central Train at rest in Retford station.
- I arrived in Doncaster at 12:45.
Looking at Real Time Trains, I find this is said.
This service was cancelled between Retford and Bradford Interchange due to the train striking a bird (V8)
As it was a V8 bird, I assume it was a large one.
Cleethorpes Station – 25th March 2025
When I got to Cleethorpes station, I took these pictures.
Note.
- The weather wasn’t up to much.
- The restaurant, where I had intended to have lunch appeared closed.
- So I just turned round and went back to Doncaster.
- The station appears to have four long platforms and a siding, where trains could be cleaned during a short or possibly overnight stay.
I do have a few thoughts about Cleethorpes station.
The Platform Lengths At Cleethorpes Station
In
Grand Central To Submit Application For Direct Services Between Lincolnshire And London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Grand Central.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central has today launched an application process for direct services between Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, Scunthorpe and London – plans to bring significant benefits to underserved areas.
- The application will be welcomed by communities, businesses, and organisations, who have been actively campaigning for the introduction of direct rail links to London.
- If approved, the new services could unlock £30.1 million annually for the region.
These three paragraphs add more details.
Grand Central has today notified Network Rail of its plans to operate new direct services between Lincolnshire and London that, if approved by the rail regulator (the ORR), will bring significant benefits to underserved areas across Lincolnshire and the wider region.
Under the proposals, direct services to London will be provided from Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe, with Grand Central planning to operate the services from as early as December 2026.
The plan makes best use of capacity on the rail network by running trains from the proposed new stops before connecting into existing Grand Central services at Doncaster.
The service seems very similar to the proposed King’s Cross and Cleethorpes service described in the this section of the Grand Central Wikipedia entry, where this is said.
In December 2017, Grand Central announced plans to bid for a service from London King’s Cross to Cleethorpes in early 2018 for a date in 2020. It would involve the existing Bradford Interchange service extended to ten coaches from London to Doncaster then dividing with five coaches going to Cleethorpes via Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby. The other five coaches would be the existing service to Bradford Interchange. This proposal would require permission for a split of trains as it has not been used on the East Coast Main Line before. In February 2018, Grand Central announced plans for an additional call at Crow The company planned to operate four trains per day from 2020. However, in July 2018, the Office of Rail and Road announced new access charges which would affect the business case for the new service, leading to Grand Central announcing that it would delay bidding until 2019.
Note.
- It appears that the service is not calling at Crow.
- By splitting and joining at Doncaster, Grand Central will be getting more coaches and passengers, up and down a single path between King’s Cross and Doncaster stations.
- Grand Central run four trains per day (tpd) between King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange, so as four tpd will be running between King’s Cross and Doncaster stations, it appears Grand Central will be running a full service.
It appears that open access applications come to those who wait eight years.
I have some further thoughts.
What Class Of Trains Do Grand Central Currently Use?
According to Real Time Trains on Friday the 21st of March 2025, two Class 180 trains and two Class 221 trains each ran a service between King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange stations.
Both type of train appear to be able to run as a pair of trains.
As Bradford is the UK City of Culture in 2025, that could prove useful.
What Trains Will Grand Central Use For The New Service?
It would appear that either type of train type could run the service,
So it would probably come down to factors like reliability, comfort and what is available.
I Was Mildly Surprised When I Saw This Application Had Gone In
But, circumstances change.
- Grand Central now run two Class 221 trains, in addition to the Class 180 trains.
- There are more Class 221 trains in store, if needed.
- The UK has had several changes of government since the original application in 2017 and track-access charges may have been reduced.
- Cleethorpes station has been refurbished.
Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023 shows the station in 2023.
But a new problem has arisen. The new Transport Secretary doesn’t seem keen on open access services, from some of the things she’s said.
Perhaps, she has had a change of heart or as she looks to be a good doer, someone has bought her a decent meal of fish and chips in Cleethorpes? My meal in the town is described in Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes.
But would Grand Central put in an application, if they knew they were wasting their money?
Or could this be an application funded by all the open access operators to get a definitive view on the government’s policy?
Could The Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains?
Consider.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes are 52.1 miles apart.
- Surprisingly Doncaster and Bradford Interchange are 52.1 miles apart.
- King’s Cross and Doncaster are 155.9 miles apart and fully-electrified.
- A battery that had enough capacity to do the return trips from Doncaster to either Cleethorpes or Bradford Interchange, would be easily recharged on the way to and from London.
With careful calculation of the battery size and good capacity management, I also suspect a battery-electric train could be able to take the GNGE Diversion via Lincoln.
Could The Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Hydrogen-Electric Trains?
Consider the daily services will be made up of these runs.
- Eight runs between London and Bradford Interchange each consisting of 155.9 miles on wires and 52.1 miles on hydrogen.
- Eight runs between London and Cleethorpes each consisting of 155.9 miles on wires and 52.1 miles on hydrogen.
Which means there are 833.6 miles per day run on hydrogen.
If there are four trains running the service as now, that is 208.4 miles per train per day on hydrogen.
A hydrogen-powered train with this daily range is very much a possibility.
The German Dimension To Grand Central Trains
Consider.
- Grand Central are owned by Arriva.
- Arriva are owned by Deutche Bahn.
- Siemens have a train factory at Goole close to Doncaster.
- Siemens have built quite a few electric multiple units for various UK railways.
- Siemens have designs for battery-electric and hydrogen-electric multiple units, that would be suitable for Grand Central Trains.
- Jürgen Maier was senior in Siemens UK, when the train factory at Goole was built and is now chair of Great British Energy.
I believe that Siemens at Goole could build trains, that would do nicely for Grand Central Trains.
- It would surely be handy for Grand Central Trains to have their fleet stabled in easy reach of the factory.
- In addition, hydrogen will soon be readily-available in the Doncaster area.
Grand Central trains could do a lot worse than buy trains built or assembled at Siemen’s factory at Goole.
DfT Objects To Eight Open Access Applications
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the March 2025 Edition of Modern Railways.
Surprise! Suprise! There are no prizes for innovation and risk, to be given out by Starmer’s Government Of All The Lawyers.
- Alliance Rail – Cardiff and Edinburgh – opposed
- Grand Central – London and York – opposed
- Hull Trains – London and Hull – opposed
- Hull Trains – London and Sheffield – opposed
- Lumo – London and Glasgow – opposed
- Lumo – London and Rochdale – opposed
- Virgin Trains – London and Liverpool – opposed
- Virgin Trains – London and Glasgow – opposed
Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway – London and Wrexham – supported.
Splitting And Joining Of Trains
Several of the objections, seem to be on grounds of capacity.
So why not pair up some services and split and join at a convenient station?
Hull Trains – A Hull and a Sheffield service could start together in London and split in Retford.
Lumo – A Newcastle and an Edinburgh service could start together in London and split in Newcastle.
Lumo – An Edinburgh and a Glasgow service could start together in London and split in Edinburgh.
Virgin Trains – A Liverpool and a Glasgow service would start together in London and split in Crewe.
A Bad Decision
I believe the Government’s decision is a very bad one.
At the weekend I wrote Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, about my trip in a hydrogen-powered bus to Gatwick-Airport.
- The quality, performance and roadholding of this new zero-carbon bus was superb.
- I can’t wait to try out Wrightbus’s new hydrogen-powered coach in the next twelve months.
- In the future, I can see high speed hydrogen coaches steaming along the motorways of the UK and Ireland.
Hydrogen-powered coaches will do for cheap travel on the roads of these islands, what Ryanair and easyJet for did above our heads.
Could An Open Access Operator Develop A Train Service Along The South Coast of The UK Between Kent and Fishguard?
Before I go into detail, I will answer a question that explains the terminology and the why’s and wherefores’ of the title of this post.
What Is An Open Access Operator?
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry of an Open Access Operator.
In rail transport, an open-access operator is an operator that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and, in countries where rail services run under franchises, are not subject to franchising.
In the UK, these are all open access operators, that are running services.
Note.
- Other groups are developing services.
- Regional, High Speed, International, Local and Sleeper services seem to be offered by various open access operators.
- Grand Central is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn,
- Hull Trains and Lumo are both subsidiaries of FirstGroup.
Open Access operators seem to operate in most European Union countries.
Why Run Between Kent and Fishguard?
- The main purpose of the train service would be to provide a low-cost rail connection between the island of Ireland and particularly the Republic of Ireland, with the Southern part of England and the European Union.
- At both ends of the route the train service would connect to ferries.
- At the Eastern end, the train service would also connect to Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel.
- The Port of Dover could be efficiently connected to Dover Priory Station.
- Dover Priory Station could be the Eastern terminus.
- The service could stop at Folkestone Central station, if ferries call at the Port of Folkestone in the future.
- The service could stop at Ashford International station for Eurostar services.
- Fishguard Harbour station has been built as a train terminus for the Port of Fishguard.
- Fishguard Harbour station could be the Western terminus.
This could be a busy service.
Where Would The Trains Call?
Intermediate stations would depend on passenger umbers, but could start as Folkestone Central, Ashford International, Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Portsmouth & Southsea, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Gowerton, Llanelli and Carmarthen.
How Long Would The Journey Be?
The journey would be around 377 miles and I suspect could take about three and a half hours with modern digital signalling.
Surprisingly, the route is fully-electrified except for the following.
- Ashford International and Ore – 27.9 miles
- Southampton Central and Bristol Parkway – 82 miles
- Cardiff Central and Fishguard Harbour – 115.6 miles
All gaps should be able to be bridged using battery power.
I suspect trains would be Hitachi high speed battery-electric trains.
Would Any European Funding Be Available?
This is an interesting question, as the service does join up two separate sections of the European Union.
Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
- Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
- Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.
These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.
Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.
Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.
The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.
These are my observations and thoughts.
Grand Central’s Current Services
Grand Central currently runs two separate services.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- Weekend services are reduced.
- Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.
Grand Central have applied to run more services.
Distances Without Electrification On Current Services
Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles
Note.
- Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
- Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
- Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.
The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.
These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.
And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.
Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.
Grand Central’s New Trains
Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.
- Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
- Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
- Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.
Note.
- A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
- Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
- Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
- LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?
I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.
Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.
Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services
Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.
Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.
They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.
Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?
- Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
- An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
- London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
- The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
- They might save a few minutes.
But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.
This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.
- Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
- One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
- Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
- As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.
I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services
If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.
They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.
Conclusion
It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.
The Anonymous Widower 