Grand Union Trains « The Anonymous Widower

Could Open Access Operators Use High Speed Two?

In Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line, I suggested the Grand Union Trains might like to run their service between London Euston and Stirling via High Speed Two.

But would this be a feasible idea?

These are my thoughts.

What Is An Open Access Operator?

The Wikipedia entry for Open-Access Operator, provide this answer.

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.

It then lists fifty-four operators in fifteen countries.

As the companies, who provide the services take full commercial risk and don’t get a subsidy from the taxpayer, I don’t see why, that providing, the operator can get the paths, they should be allowed to operate.

If they fail, then that’s the operator’s problem.

Are Any Paths Available On High Speed Two?

These are High Speed Two services as originally planned.

Since the Eastern Leg was cancelled, the following has happened.

There are only eleven trains per hour (tph) between London Euston and Birmingham Interchange.
There are only ten tph between Birmingham and Crewe.
There is one tph between Birmingham and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Note.

The Trent Valley Line section between Stafford and Crewe is 24.3 miles.

The Trent Valley Line between Handsacre Junction and Crewe is nearly all four tracks.

Currently, this section carries these fast trains.

Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Blackpool North, Edinburgh or Glasgow via Birmingham New Street.
Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to North Wales
Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street
Avanti West Coast – 2 tph – London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly
Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Scotland
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – London Euston to Crewe.
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Stafford to Crewe.
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street.

This totals nine tph and will be 10 tph, when a second London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street is added.

When High Speed Two opens between London Euston and Birmingham Curzon and Handsacre Junction, trains between London Euston and Liverpool, Manchester, the North and Scotland will switch to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre Junction.

The Trent Valley Line section between Stafford and Crewe will carry these fast trains.

Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to North Wales
High Speed Two – 2 tph – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street
High Speed Two – 3 tph – London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly
High Speed Two – 2 tph – London Euston to Scotland
High Speed Two – 1 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street to Scotland
High Speed Two – 2 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street to Manchester Piccadilly
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – London Euston to Crewe.
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Stafford to Crewe.
West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street

Note.

This totals to ten tph for High Speed Two, 1 tph for Avanti West Coast and the tph for West Midlands Trains.
There is no service to Blackpool.
It looks to me that the London Euston to North Wales should, as soon as the North Wales Coast Line is electrified become a High Speed Two service.
Should the Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street service be replaced with a High Speed Two from Birmingham Curzon Street to Liverpool Lime Street?

There is plenty of paths South of Handsacre Junction on High Speed Two to accommodate a few services to Blackpool and an open access operator like Grand Union Trains, who have been given permission to run a service to Stirling.

Conclusion

My rough calculation says that open access services could be fitted in on the latest variant of High Speed Two.

In Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line, the two Andies; Burnham and Street proposed that the Handsacre Junction and Manchester Airport section of High Speed Two should be built.

If this should happen, then it would open up several possibilities for open access services for the North.

March 24, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Birmingham Curzon Street Station, Birmingham New Street Station, Euston Station, Grand Union Trains, High Speed Two, Liverpool Lime Street Station, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly Station, Open Access Operators, Stirling Station, West Midlands Trains | 1 Comment

Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

These five paragraphs introduce the article.

The mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester have set out proposals for a new railway line between Staffordshire and Manchester Airport in a bid to improve connections to the north.

Work commission by West Midlands mayor Andy Street and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has concluded the new line is the preferred option to tackle congestion on the West Coast Mainline, following the government’s decision to curtail HS2 beyond Birmingham.

A private sector group – chaired by infrastructure expert Sir David Higgins – had been looking at three potential options to improve connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester.

The options included undertaking significant engineering upgrades to the West Coast Main Line, building bypasses at the pinch points on the line and building a new railway between Handsacre and Manchester Airport.

The group, convened by the mayors, is led by global engineering firm Arup with input from over 60 partners from six other firms – Arcadis, Addleshaw Goddard, EY, Dragados, Mace and Skanska.

This paragraph gives the conclusion.

The group has provisionally concluded that a new line – running approximately 70 miles between HS2 at Handsacre and Northern Powerhouse Rail at High Legh – is likely to offer the best combination of costs and benefits.

It looks to me, that this professional approach has led to a sensible answer.

I will now look at the route.

This Open Railway Map shows the tracks to the South of Handsacre.

Note.

The blue arrow in the North-West corner of the map, indicates the location of the former Armitage station, which had the village of Handsacre to its North-East.
The red line through Armitage station is the Trent Valley Line.
Lichfield Trent Valley station is at the bottom of the map.
The line drawn with large dashes from the South-East corner of the map is the proposed line of High Speed Two. Red indicates under construction and black indicates proposed.

High Speed Two splits into two.

One branch goes North-West to join the Trent Valley Line, whilst the other just stops after about a kilometre.

All trains for Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales, The North and Scotland will take the Trent Valley Line, when High Speed Two opens.
Trains for Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and some to Manchester will leave the Trent Valley Line at Colwich Junction.
All other trains, will take the same route as now and proceed to Crewe via Stafford.

The red dotted line leading from the cancelled branch of High Speed Two shows where the original fast line to Crewe was planned to go.

This Open Railway Map shows the tracks around Crewe.

Note.

Crewe is the important junction station towards the North-West corner of the map.
The orange line going South is the West Coast Main Line to The South and London.
The red dotted line running along the West side of the West Coast Main Line was the proposed route of High Speed Two from Birmingham, London and the South.

This Open Railway Map shows the originally proposed direct route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Handsacre.

Note.

Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map.
The blue arrow in the South-East corner of the map, indicates the location of the former Armitage station, which had the village of Handsacre to its North-East.
The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two.

I feel that this route between Handsacre and Crewe has advantages if it were to be chosen as part of a route between Handsacre and Northern Powerhouse Rail, as recommended by the Mayors and their consultants.

The route seems to stay well clear of large conurbations.
A lot of the design work has been at least started and major problems will be known.
Crewe is the only station on the route, which will need to be upgraded.
Services to Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales, The North and Scotland will be speeded up.
With Crewe, Liverpool and North Wales, times could be as High Speed Two promised in the first place.

I feel that building the Handsacre and Crewe section, as originally envisaged, will score high in a benefit/cost analysis

This OpenRailwayMap shows the originally proposed route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Manchester Airport.

Note.

Crewe is towards the South-West corner of the map.
Manchester Airport is in the North-East corner of the map.
The red line going North from Crewe is the West Coast Main Line.
The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two, between the West Coast Main Line and Manchester Airport.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will go West from Manchester Airport towards Warrington and Liverpool and will join with High Speed Two at a junction at High Legh.

Northern Powerhouse Rail is currently being planned, but surely, if High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail share a line from High Legh to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, this will be a more affordable project.

Services To Crewe

In Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?, which I wrote after much of High Speed Two was chopped in 2023, I said this.

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and thirty minutes between London and Crewe.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Crewe.

Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and thirty minutes.
Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-six minutes.

Note.

That is a time saving of thirty-four minutes.
High Speed Two Trains will use the direct line between Lichfield and Crewe.
High Speed Two will also add eighteen tph to the capacity between London and Crewe.

This would seem to mean that any trains going to or through Crewe will be thirty-four minutes faster, if they use High Speed Two between London and Crewe.

If the Handsacre and Crewe direct line is built, it looks like London and Crewe will be the full High Speed Two time of 56 minutes.

Services To Liverpool

Consider.

Liverpool Lime Street was originally planned to get two trains per hour (tph) to and from London using High Speed Two.
The approaches into Liverpool were improved a few years ago.
No more improvements are planned between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street stations.
Between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street stations currently takes 38 minutes.
There could be time savings on the 16.3 miles between Crewe and Weaver Junction, which currently takes 21 minutes.

It looks like a time of one hour and 34 minutes could be possible, with under one hour and 30 minutes not being impossible.

Services To Manchester

Consider.

Manchester was originally planned to get three tph to and from London using High Speed Two.
No improvements are planned between Crewe and the Manchester stations.
Between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly stations currently takes 34 minutes.

It looks like a time of one hour and 30 minutes could be possible.

But there is still the option of building a new line between Crewe and Northern Powerhouse Rail at High Legh.

I showed this OpenRailwayMap earlier and it shows the originally proposed route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Manchester Airport.

Note.

Crewe is towards the South-West corner of the map.
Manchester Airport is in the North-East corner of the map.
The red line going North from Crewe is the West Coast Main Line.
The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two, between the West Coast Main Line and Manchester Airport.

Northern Powerhouse Rail is currently being planned. and will go West from Manchester Airport towards Warrington and Liverpool and will be built first.

A junction at High Legh will be built to link the West Coast Main Line to Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Services To North Wales

Why Not? With the cancellation of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two, there must be a path available for North Wales.

Consider.

The North Wales Main Line has been promised electrification.
As Holyhead and Crewe is only 105.5 miles, it could even be in battery high speed train range in a few years.
All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
As Crewe and Chester currently takes 23 minutes, London and Chester would take 1 hour and 19 minutes.
As Crewe and Llandudno Junction currently takes 1 hour and 22 minutes, London and Llandudno Junction would take 2 hours and 18 minutes.
As Crewe and Holyhead currently takes 2 hours and 7 minutes, London and Holyhead would take 3 hours and 3 minutes.

Could this open up a fast zero-carbon route between London and Dublin?

Services To Blackpool, Lancaster, Preston, Warrington And Wigan

Why Not, Blackpool? With the cancellation of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two, there must be an extra path available, if it is needed.

Cpnsider.

All routes are electrified.
All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
As Crewe and Blackpool currently takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, London and Blackpool would take 2 hour and 16 minutes.
As Crewe and Lancaster currently takes 60 minutes, London and Lancaster would take 1 hour and 56 minutes.
As Crewe and Preston currently takes 40 minutes, London and Preston would take 1 hour and 36 minutes.
As Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay currently takes 22 minutes, London and Warrington Bank Quay would take 1 hour and 18 minutes.
As Crewe and Wigan North Western currently takes 33 minutes, London and Wigan North Western would take 1 hour and 29 minutes.

Note.

Lancaster in under two hours will help the Eden Project Morecambe.
For some areas of the North West, it might be more convenient to change at Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western or Preston.

Improvements to track and signalling could probably bring benefits.

Services To Carlisle And Central Scotland

Cpnsider.

All routes are electrified.
All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
As Crewe and Carlisle currently takes 1 hour and 55 minutes, London and Carlisle would take 2 hours and 51 minutes.
As Crewe and Lockerbie currently takes 2 hours and 6 minutes, London and Lockerbie would take 3 hours and 1 minute.
As Crewe and Motherwell currently takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, London and Motherwell would take 3 hours and 41 minutes.
As Crewe and Edinburgh currently takes 3 hours and 9 minutes, London and Edinburgh would take 4 hours and 5 minutes.
As Crewe and Glasgow Central currently takes 3 hours and 3 minutes, London and Glasgow Central would take 3 hours and 59 minutes.

Note.

Just under four hours to Glasgow Central would please the Marketing Department.
Selective splitting and joining could increase the number of destinations.

Improvements to track and signalling could probably bring benefits.

Services To Stirling

In ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling, I wrote about Grand Union Trains’s new open access service to Stirling.

There has been good feedback on this service, so perhaps one of the spare paths on High Speed Two could be allocated to Open Access Operators, so that more of the country could have a high speed service to London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street stations.

In the related post, I showed that London Euston and Stirling takes forty five minutes longer than a London Euston and Motherwell service.

This would mean that a London Euston and Stirling service via High Speed Two would take four hours and 26 minutes.

Services Between Birmingham Curzon Street and the North West

Under the plans for High Speed Two, the following services would have run North from Birmingham Curzon Street.

One tph to Edinburgh or Motherwell and Glasgow via Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Carstairs.
Two tph to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.

But there are now spare paths South of Crewe, so Could a one tph Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street service be squeezed in?

Could The Line Be Privately Financed?

I suspect that building the section between Handsacre and Crewe could be financed in perhaps a similar way, to the Chiltern improvements or the M6 Toll Road were financed.

The Handsacre and Crewe section is just a simple stretch of rail, with a number of trains passing along it.
The number of trains passing through, is likely to increase.
Every train passing through would pay a track charge, just as they do to Network Rail.
Those with lots of money to lend, like simple projects like wind farms or road tunnels, but think very hard about anything complicated like nuclear power stations or High Speed Two’s station at Euston.

Certainly, my late and very good friend, David, who dealt with the finance of some of London’s largest projects and was on the top table of London’s bankers, would have found a way. It might though have been unorthodox.

But then David was a rogue. But a rogue on the side of the angels.

Conclusion

I have come to these conclusions.

Building the direct route between Handsacre and Crewe could be good value as it improves all routes that will pass through Crewe.
Combining High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail could substantially cut the costs of both routes to the centre of Manchester.
London and Crewe times should be 56 minutes.
London and Liverpool Lime Street times could be under one hour and thirty minutes.
London and Manchester Piccadilly times could start at one hour and thirty minutes and reduce when Northern Powerhouse Rail is built and linked to the West Coast Main Line.
London and Holyhead could be just over three hours and could open up a fast zero-carbon route between London and Dublin.
London and Lancaster in under two hours could help the Eden Project Morecambe.

It’s certainly not a bad plan and it should be looked at in more detail.

March 22, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Andy Burnham, Andy Street, Automatic Splitting And Joining Of Trains, Birmingham Curzon Street Station, Crewe Station, Eden Project Morecambe, Edinburgh Station, Euston Station, Glasgow Central Station, Grand Union Trains, Handsacre Junction, High Speed Two, Liverpool Lime Street Station, Manchester Airport, Manchester Mayor, Manchester Piccadilly Station, Open Access Operators, Stirling Station, West Coast Main Line, West Midlands Mayor | 5 Comments

ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling

The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from the Office of Rail and Road.

This is the sub-heading.

The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central Scotland.

These five paragraphs detail the ORR’s decision.

ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase competition.

Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe (subject to agreement between Grand Union Trains and Network Rail), Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.

ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers, significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on the network.

The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with government.

Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.

Note.

The Grand Union service appears to be running into London Euston. Earlier plans had it terminating at Queen’s Park station.
Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
London Euston and Stirling is electrified all the way.
The third open access service, that the ORR has approved is the Lumo service between King’s Cross and Edinburgh via the East Coast Main Line.

I have a few thoughts.

Stirling Is An Ideal Place To Explore Central Scotland By Train

In Stirling, I give the reasons, why I spent a couple of days in Stirling, when I wanted to visit several places in Central Scotland.

Note.

Stirling has direct services to Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth.
Aberdeen is one hour and 15 minutes away.
Dundee is just 63 minutes away.
Edinburgh is just 48 minutes away.
Glasgow is just 39 minutes away.
Inverness is two hours and 46 minutes away.

Stirling has about a dozen affordable hotels and guest houses within walking distance of the station, as this map shows.

Stirling would appear to have got Central Scotland covered.

Could The Train Serve Gleneagles?

Gleneagles is about twenty minutes North of Stirling and is served by the Caledonian Sleeper from London.

This Google Map shows the area around Gleneagles station.

Note.

Gleneagles station is at the bottom of the map.
The red arrow indicates the famous Gleneagles hotel.
The pink dots are other hotels.
Airbnb lists several very splendid properties in the varea.

Not everybody, who goes to the Gleneagles area will be exceedingly rich and I could see the Gleneagles area generating substantial business for Grand Union Trains. I suspect the best way to serve Gleneagles would be a zero-emission coach from Stirling.

Along The Motherwell And Cumbernauld Line

Between Motherwell and Stirling, a lot of the route used is on the Motherwell and Cumbernauld Line.

The line is fully-electrified.
It is only 28.9 miles between Motherwell and Stirling.
\cumbernaukd and Motherwell takes 20 minutes.

I do wonder, if extra stops might be worthwhile.

Motherwell Has Good Connections To Edinburgh And Glasgow

As well as Stirling, Motherwell has good connections to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, so some passengers might find their most convenient route involves a change at Motherwell.

Nuneaton And Scotland Would Get A New Service

Nuneaton has been named by Avanti West Coast, as a place that needs more trains, as it connects with the service between Birmingham and Stansted Airport, via Coleshill Parkway, Leicester, Peterborough, March, Ely and Cambridge.

I suspect that, Nuneaton will become an interchange, between East Anglia and, the North West and West Scotland.

Milton Keynes And Scotland Should Get An Improved Service

Consider.

It appears that all Avanti West Coast services between Milton Keynes and Scotland, go via Birmingham.
I suspect that Grand Union’s route using the Trent Valley Line could be faster with similar trains.
Creating a new route between Milton Keynes and Stirling could be a good move, as it gives one-change access to much of Central Scotland.
Milton Keynes has good local connections to places like Northampton, Rugby, Tring and Watford Junction.
Milton Keynes will be a stop on the new East-West Railway.
From many stations, it will be quicker to go via Milton Keynes rather than Euston.

I suspect Milton Keynes could be a nice little earner.

Will Grand Union’s Trains Be Fitted With Digital Signalling?

Consider.

At some point in the next ten years the West Coast Main Line will be fitted with digital signalling, to enable trains to run at 140 mph on selected parts of the route.
Digital signalling will allow extra services between London Euston and Motherwell.
Motherwell and London Euston is 388 miles.

I suspect, that Grand Union’s Trains will need to be fitted with digital signalling, so they can save time on services and possibly add in a few more.

It will add costs, although the faster speed will surely attract passengers.

Will Grand Union’s Trains Be Electric?

There are these train services going between England and Scotland.

Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street – 7 tpd – Class 390 – Electric
Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street – 5 tpd – Class 390 – Electric
Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Class 390 – Electric
CrossCountry – Plymouth to Edinburgh Waverley – 1 tph – Class 220/221 – Diesel – Uses diesel all the time
LNER – London King’s Cross/Leeds to Aberdeen – 4 tpd – Class 800 – Bi-mode – Uses diesel North of Edinburgh
LNER – London King’s Cross to Inverness – 1 tpd – Class 800 – Bi-mode – Uses diesel North of Stirling
LNER – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley – 3p2h – Class 800 – Bi-mode or Class 801 – Electric
LNER – London King’s Cross to Glasgow Central – 1 tpd – Class 801 – Electric
LNER – London King’s Cross to Stirling – 1 tpd – Class 801 – Electric
Lumo – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh – 5 tpd – Class 803 – Electric
TransPennine Express – Newcastle to Edinburgh Waverley – 7 tpd – Class 802 – Bi-mode
TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central – 2 tpd – Class 397 – Electric
TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverly – 1 tp2h – Class 397 – Electric
TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central – 1 tp2h – Class 397 – Electric

Note.

tpd is trains per day.
tph is trains per hour.
tp2h is trains per two hours.
LNER services to Glasgow and Stirling are likely to be dropped.
Some Lumo services are likely to be extended from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
Many services South from Stirling to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street are electric.

The current two tpd direct trains to Stirling are electric and if you change at Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow, it is likely to be an all-electric service.

For marketing reasons, I would recommend, that Grand Union Trains ran electric trains between London Euston and Stirling, as they are competing against an all-electric service.

Although to meet service dates it might be necessary to run something like a diesel Class 222 train to get the service started.

What Trains Will Grand Union Use?

The Wikipedia entry for Grand Union Trains, says this for their London Euston and Stirling service.

In 2023 Grand Union revised its proposal changing its planned rolling stock to Class 22x units, at the same time the start date for this service was changed to June 2025.

I would suspect they will put in the order for new electric trains fairly sharpish.

The new trains could be.

A variant of Hitachi’s Class 800 trains.
A variant of CAF’s Class 397 trains.

Would they have an emergency battery un case of overhead line failure?

How Long Will A Service Take?

The service can be divided into two sections.

London Euston and Motherwell – 388 miles.
Motherwell and Stirling – 28.9 miles.

Note.

The 08:30 train from Euston to Motherwell takes 4 hours and 17 minutes with six stops via Nuneaton.
The Grand Union Trains service will also have six stops and go via Nuneaton.

I would expect with today’s signalling and electric trains, that Euston and Motherwell would take a maximum of 4 hours and 17 minutes.

The twenty minute time to Cumbernauld could be added.
The twenty-five minute time between Cumbernauld and Stirling could be added.

It looks the time would be just over five hours.

I doubt there would be much scope for increasing speed North of Motherwell, but could there be savings made to the South of Motherwell?

Consider.

London Euston and Motherwell is 388 miles.
Four hours and 17 minutes is 257 minutes.
Motherwell is on the main London Euston and Glasgow Central route.

This is an average speed between London Euston and Motherwell of 90.6 mph.

By comparison.

London King’s Cross and Edinburgh is 392.6 miles.
Journeys can take four hours and 20 minutes or 260 minutes.

This is an average speed between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh of 90.6 mph.

In the next decade, there will be improvements on both the East and West Coast Main Lines.

King’s Cross and Edinburgh is currently being digitally signalled.
London Euston and Glasgow Central is likely to be an early priority for digital signalling after London King’s Cross and Edinburgh is completed.
When High Speed Two opens to Birmingham and Lichfield, High Speed Two trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central will use the West Coast Main Line to the North of Lichfield.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some track realignment and modifications to improve speeds on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Lichfield.

I can build a table of times between London Euston and Motherwell against average speed.

90 mph – 4 hours 19 minutes
100 mph – 3 hours 53 minutes
110 mph – 3 hours 32 minutes
120 mph – 3 hours 14 minutes
125 mph – 3 hours 6 minutes
130 mph – 2 hours 59 minutes

Note.

Adding 15 minutes gives a London Euston and Glasgow Central time.
Adding 45 minutes gives a London Euston and Stirling time.
Averaging 120 mph would give London Euston and Glasgow Central or Stirling times of under four hours.

It strikes me, that to improve Anglo-Scottish relations and to make rail a better alternative to flying, a priority for all West Coast services is to improve the West Coast Main Line and install digital signalling, so that a 120 mph average is possible between London Euston and Motherwell.

What Difference Will High Speed Two Make?

High Speed Two is claiming it will knock thirty minutes off times between London Euston and Glasgow Central, when it opens to Birmingham and Lichfield.

But Grand Union Trains are not expected to use the new line between London Euston and Lichfield, as High Speed Two will, as it will make calling at Milton Keynes and Nuneaton impossible, as they are bypassed by High Speed Two.

Conclusion

This train service is going to be good for Milton Keynes, Nuneaton and Stirling and all the towns in Central Scotland.

But they must make full use of the available electrification.

March 11, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper, Class 222 Train, Class 390 Train, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Class 803 Trains, Digital Signalling, East West Railway, Euston Station, Gleneagles, Grand Union Trains, Hotel, Lumo, Milton Keynes Central Station, Nuneaton Station, Office Of Rail And Road, Open Access Operators, Scotland, Stirling Station, West Coast Main Line | 3 Comments

More Open Access Services Could Be On The Way

In the February 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths.

The article is mainly about FirstGroup’s proposal for a new Sheffield and London service, running under the Hull Trains brand.

But, this is the last paragraph.

Modern Railways understands First is working on a number of proposals for additional open access services, and this is an early statement of intent. Other existing open access proposals include Grand Union Trains’ plans for London to Stirling and Cardiff to Edinburgh services, along with an already approved London to Carmarthen service, and the recently submitted Wrexham, Shropshire and Midland Railway application for a London to Wrexham service. It is understood other organisations, including MTR and Virgin, are also working up plans for new open access services.

These are my thoughts.

Grand Union Trains

These posts talk about Grand Union Trains services, where a proposal has been filed with the Office of Rail and Road.

Grand Union Trains – Cardiff and Edinburgh – Cardiff – Edinburgh Open Access Train Service Proposal Under Development
Grand Union Trains – Carmarthen and London – Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington
Grand Union Trains – Stirling and Euston – Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions

Note.

All three services are substantially electrified.
Cardiff and Edinburgh is not electrified between Severn Tunnel Junction and Doncaster, which is 180.7 miles, but 258.4 miles are electrified.
Once the Midland Main Line is electrified, the longest section of unelectrified track is the 72.5 miles between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove.
Carmarthen and London has 145.1 miles of electrification between London and Cardiff and about 75 miles of unelectrified track West of Cardiff.
Stirling and Euston is fully electrified.

A bi-mode or tri-mode train with an independent range at least 190 miles would be able to handle all three services. It would also allow extension of the Stirling service to Perth, if later that was felt to be a better terminus.

Trains able to be used would include.

CAF Tri-Mode Train – As being built for LNER
Class 221 train – Will be released soon by Avanti West Coast.
Class 222 train – Will be released soon by East Midlands Railways
Class 802 train
Class 755 train – A Greater Anglia driver told me, the train is designed for 125 mph.
Class 93 locomotive and a rake of coaches.

Note.

All trains except the Class 221 and Class 222 trains would be able to make use of the electrification.
The Class 93 locomotive option is not a 125 mph train.
CAF Tri-Mode Train and the Class 802 train have digital signalling as standard, which could allow some 140 mph running.

But I do believe after the completion of the Midland Main Line electrification, a battery-electric high speed train with an independent range of around 100 miles could also handle all routes with perhaps charging in a couple of stations, like Carmarthen.

The services could of course be commenced using refurbished Class 221 and Class 222 trains from Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railways respectively.

I can see a bidding and design war going on between CAF, Hitachi and Stadler to supply Grand Union Trains.

Liverpool Lime Street Station

Liverpool Lime Street station has been updated and has the capacity for extra services.

I also feel, that with the improvements to the West Coast Main Line and especially between Crewe and Liverpool in preparation for High Speed Two, that journey times between London and Liverpool will improve to around two hours.

Given the attractions of Liverpool, this will increase passenger numbers on the route and I believe extra services will be viable.

The Wikipedia entry for the station says this about a proposal from Virgin.

In June 2019, Virgin Trains lodged an application for an open access service from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street calling at Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street to rival the future West Coast Partnership franchise Avanti West Coast from December 2022.

It does seem to have gone quiet.

A Fast Zero-Carbon Route Between England And Ireland

This OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool South Parkway station and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Note.

Liverpool South Parkway station is in the North-West corner of the map.

The orange track at the top of the map is the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.

At the bottom of the map, the long runway of Liverpool John Lennon Airport can be seen.

I believe that a fast link could be developed between the station and the airport.

Initially this would be a coach.
But later it could be developed as a tram-train from the City Centre, that also would call at Liverpool South Parkway station.

Operation of the airport could be ideal for up to 30-seater electric airliners.

Destinations served could include.

Belfast City – 151 miles
Bristol – 135 miles
Cardiff – 135 miles
Derry/Londonderry – 210 miles
Dublin – 140 miles
Glasgow – 186 miles
Haverfordwest – 127 miles
Humberside – 104 miles
London City – 176 miles
Norwich – 180 miles
Ronaldsway – 89 miles
Southend – 172 miles

Note.

Liverpool appears to sit in circle of airports
An Eviation Alice has a range of 290 miles with 9 passengers.
The Wikipedia entry for Heart Aerospace, says their 30-seater electric airliner says it has a range of 124 miles or more if less passengers are carried.
The East-West runway is also in line with the prevailing wind, which should help take-off.
Liverpool Airport is located such that there is access to plentiful supplies of green electricity and hydrogen.

I will be very surprised if Liverpool Airport doesn’t develop into an airport for zero-carbon flights.

This could attract open access rail services from London and across the country.

Huddersfield

In First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths, I postulated that Huddersfield station could be an ideal extension of FirstGroup’s proposed open access service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

February 14, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 221 Train, Class 222 Train, Class 802 Train, East Midlands Railway, Eviation Alice, FirstGroup, FirstGroup's Proposed Sheffield Service, Grand Union Trains, Heart Aerospace ES-30, Hull Trains, Liverpool Airport, Office Of Rail And Road, Open Access Operators | 2 Comments

What Will Be The Power Unit In LNER’s New CAF Tri-Mode Trains?

There is a short article in the January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, that is entitled New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability.

This is said about the diesel engines in the new CAF tri-mode trains.

CAF will supply 10×10-car trains with overhead electric, battery and diesel capability, financed by Porterbrook. The inclusion of diesel engines as part of the winning bid, rather than a straightforward battery-electric unit, has surprised some observers, but LNER’s specification was that the fleet should have sufficient self-powered capability to cover the length of the joint line, which is approximately 90 miles. This is currently to be considered to be beyond the scope of battery-power alone, although as the technology evolves diesel engines could be replaced by batteries. The configuration of diesel engines and batteries within the sets has yet to be decided.

As the paragraph says that the diesel engines can be replaced by batteries and the trains are from CAF’s modular Civity family, it sounds like CAF are using a modular power system.

The CAF Class 195, 196 and 197 diesel multiple units, that are used in the UK, use mtu Railcar Power Packs, which are shown on this web page.

mtu are a Rolls-Royce subsidiary.

mtu also make a Hybrid Power Pack, which is shown on this web page.

This is the sub-title on the web page.

Individual hybrid drive with a modular design

Underneath is this sub-heading.

It takes revolutionary thinking to develop a smart rail drive system like the Hybrid PowerPack. Find out what makes mtu different, and why our Hybrid PowerPack brings added value to operators while benefiting passengers and the environment alike.

These paragraphs describe the mtu Hybrid PowerPack.

The Hybrid PowerPack was developed from the successful mtu underfloor drives: Tried and tested mtu PowerPacks were modified and equipped with additional components and functionalities in order to integrate hybrid technology. The mtu hybrid concept consists of a modular kit with a variety of drive elements. It satisfies all existing railway standards and can be arranged according to customer specifications.

Thanks to its compact design and the use of power-dense electrical machines, the Hybrid PowerPack can be easily integrated in the existing installation space under the floor, both in new rail vehicles or for repowering. mtu EnergyPacks – the energy storage – can be positioned at various places in the vehicle: on the roof or underfloor. The modular design creates great flexibility for operators who are planning new diesel hybrid vehicles or want to convert existing vehicles.

Based on specifications for the hybrid train and the profile of the planned routes, mtu can simulate the lifecycle costs (capital, maintenance and operating costs) of specific projects. This means that a variety of drive options can be defined even before the design stage. Together with you, we then determine an optimal concept based on your needs.

Note.

mtu Hybrid PowerPacks can be used in new rail vehicles or for repowering.
It looks to me, that the total of 161 of Class 195, 196 and 197 trains, that will soon be all in service in the UK may well have been designed to be converted to hybrid power using mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
In Would You Buy A Battery Energy Storage System From Rolls-Royce?, I talk about how mtu EnergyPacks are also used for battery storage.
In fact, mtu EnergyPacks could be the secret ingredient to both systems.

This looks like a typical Rolls-Royce product, that pushes the design to the full.

I will be very surprised if LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains are not powered by mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.

I have a few thoughts.

CAF Are Going For A Proven Solution

CAF are going for a proven power solution, that they will also need for 161 trains in the UK.

Integration of systems like these can be difficult but CAF are using another company to combine diesel, electric and battery power in an efficient way.

I also feel that mtu Hybrid PowerPacks have a big future and Rolls Royce mtu will do what it takes to make sure they dominate the market.

Decarbonising The Trains

I suspect given Rolls-Royce’s philosophy, that the diesel engines will run on sustainable fuels from delivery.

But as the extract from the Modern Railways article says, the space used by diesel engines can be used for batteries.

Follow The Money

Consider.

Porterbrook and Rolls-Royce are both based in Derby.
Porterbrook are a rolling stock leasing company, who own a lot of rolling stock, that could be converted to hybrid trains, using mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
Porterbrook are financing LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Porterbrook and Rolls-Royce have done a lot of due diligence on these trains.

Other Train Operators Will Follow

LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains may be a bespoke design for LNER, but other train operators will need a similar train.

CrossCountry need a replacement low-carbon fleet.
ScotRail need a replacement fleet for their Inter7City services.
Great Western Railway need a replacement fleet for their GWR Castles.
Grand Central need a replacement low-carbon fleet.
TransPennine Express need new trains.
Open Access Operator Grand Union Trains will need trains.

I think CAF are gong to be busy.

Conclusion

The more I read about Rolls-Royce and its engineering, the more I’m impressed.

January 1, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 195 Train, Class 196 Train, Class 197 Train, CrossCountry Trains, Decarbonisation, Grand Union Trains, GWR Castles, Inter7City, LNER, mtu, mtu Hybrid PowerPack, mtuEnergyPack, Porterbrook, Rolls-Royce mtu, TransPennine Express | 7 Comments

The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains

Was I just slow to spot this data sheet or has it only just been released?

You can download a copy from this page on the Hitachi web site.

In a section on the page, which is entitled Intercity Battery Trains, this is said.

A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Adding just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%.

Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.

These are my initial thoughts.

Plug-and-Play

It looks like the train is plug-and-play.

A diesel engine will be swapped for a battery-pack and the train’s computer controls the power sources accordingly.

Hitachi’s Battery Philosophy Explained

This is said on the data sheet.

Battery technology has the potential to play a significant role in the future of sustainable rail mobility, setting
the rail industry on the path to full intercity decarbonisation by 2050.
Installing batteries on intercity trains can complement electrification and provide a low emission alternative
to domestic air travel.

Our retrofit solution for intercity trains offers phased replacement of diesel engines at the time that they would
have been due for their regular heavy maintenance overhaul, replacing each engine in turn until trains are fully battery electric. The solution delivers fuel cost savings and lowers CO2 emissions by at least 20% for every engine replaced, and a 20% reduction in whole life maintenance costs – well within the battery’s life span of 8-10 years.

Performance On Battery Power

The data sheet gives these bullet points.

750kW peak power
Weight neutral.
At least 20% lower CO2 emissions
70km on non-electrified routes
20% reduction in whole life maintenance costs
Up to 30% fuel cost savings
Zero emissions in and out of stations
Charge on the move
10 year life span

Note.

750 kW peak power, is around the power of the diesel-engine, that will be replaced.
I wouldn’t be surprised that powerwise, the battery pack looks like a diesel engine.
Weight neutral means that acceleration, performance and handling will be unchanged.
Batteries are easier to maintain than diesels.
It is stated that a train can be fully-decarbonised.

I have a feeling these trains are no ordinary battery-electric trains.

Seventy Kilometre Range On Battery

Seventy kilometres is 43.5 miles.

This may not seem much, but the data sheet says this.

Our battery hybrid trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same
or increased performance. By identifying the routes with short non-electrified sections of 70km or less, we could
see the replacement of existing diesel trains with fully battery-operated trains on those routes within a year.
And, using battery power to avoid electrifying the hardest and most expensive areas, such as tunnels and bridges,
enables flexibility on electrification, minimising passenger disruption during upgrades.

Note.

It looks like the trains can operate at 125 mph on battery power, where the track allows it. But then the rolling restistance of steel wheel on steel rail, is much lower, than that of rubber tyres on tarmac.
Hitachi seem to have developed a philosophy on how the trains will be used.
Hitachi’s pantographs, go up and down with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers. They will be ideal for a short length of electrification.

I think these LNER routes could be immediately decarbonised.

LNER – London and Harrogate , where only 18.3 miles is unelectrified. Trains may not need charging, as a full battery could handle both ways.
LNER – London and Hull, where 36.1 miles is unelectrified. A short length of electrification to charge trains would be needed at Hull.
LNER – London and Lincoln, where only 16.7 miles is unelectrified. Trains would not need charging, as a full battery could handle both ways.
LNER – London and Middlesbrough, where only 20.3 miles is unelectrified. Trains would not need charging, as a full battery could handle both ways.

Note.

It looks like some services could start fairly soon, once batteries are available.
Hull Trains could use the 70 km batteries and charging at Hull, as it passed through. This would decarbonise Hull Trains passenger operations.
Services to Aberdeen, Cleethorpes and Inverness would be out of range of the initial Hitachi trains.

Could the last point, partially explain the purchase of the CAF tri-mode trains, which I wrote about in First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line?

We shall see what we shall see.

But having a choice of battery-electric or tri-mode trains will enable route development and decarbonisation.

What Is The Size Of The Battery Pack?

In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 Or 100 mph?, I estimated that to maintain 125 mph, a Class 801 train has a usage figure of 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile.

If a five-car Class 800 can run 70 km or 43.5 miles at 125 mph, as indicated by Hitachi, then the battery size can be calculated.

3.42 * 5 * 43.5 = 743.85 kWh

As the battery pack can supply 750 kW according to the data sheet, this looks like this will run the train for an hour.

Is that coincidence or a design criteria?

What Battery Capacity Would Be Needed For A Hundred Miles?

For a five-car train, this is the energy needed for a hundred miles.

3.42 *5 * 100 = 1710 kWh or three batteries.

For a nine-car train, this is the energy needed for a hundred miles.

3.42 *9 * 100 = 3078 kWh or five batteries.

It looks like all diesel engines will be replaced by batteries.

Will Class 801 Trains Swap Their Single Diesel Engine For a Battery Power Pack?

Consider.

Class 801 trains have a single diesel engine for emergency power.
Lumo’s Class 803 trains, are all-electric with a battery-pack for emergency hotel power only.
Hitachi must have full details on the performance of Lumo’s trains.
The East Coast Main Line is notorious for the wires to come tumbling down.
The diesel engine and the battery pack appear to weigh the same.
Batteries cost less to maintain than diesels.

I can’t see why the single diesel engine can’t be replaced by a standard battery pack, without loosing any functionality.

What Would Be The Range Of A Fully Battery-Electric Train?

This is a paragraph from a data sheet.

Our retrofit solution for intercity trains offers phased replacement of diesel engines at the time that they would
have been due for their regular heavy maintenance overhaul, replacing each engine in turn until trains are fully battery electric. The solution delivers fuel cost savings and lowers CO2 emissions by at least 20% for every engine replaced, and a 20% reduction in whole life maintenance costs – well within the battery’s life span of 8-10 years.

Note.

It looks like Hitachi are expecting operators to replace engines in turn.
Replacing engines with batteries saves the operators money.

As a five-car Class 800 train has three diesel engines and a nine-car train has five engines, does this mean that the range of fully-batteried Class 800 train is 70 km or 210 km?

A fully-batteried Class 800 train will weigh the same as the current diesel.
One battery can drive the train for 70 km at 125 mph according to Hitachi.
There are no branches of electrified lines that are 125 mph lines without electrification.
I would assume that the train can use regenerative braking to recharge the batteries.
210 kilometres is 130 miles.

I don’t know much about the electrical systems of Hitachi’s trains, but it is likely that there will be an electrical bus to distribute power from one end of the train to the other.

So a five-car Class 800 train with three fully-charged battery packs could have over 2 MWh of electricity on board, that could be used for traction.

Applying the usage figure of 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile, gives a range for the five-car train of at least 117 miles.
The equivalent figure for a nine-car train will be at least 121 miles.

These distances would open up routes like these on the East Coast Main Line.

LNER – London King’s Cross and Aberdeen – 91.4 miles – Charge before return.
LNER/Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Beverley via Temple Hirst junction – 44.3 miles – No Charging needed before return.
Grand Central – London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Shaftholme junction – 47.8 miles – No Charging needed before return.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln – 63.9 miles – Charge before return.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Harrogate via Leeds – 18.3 miles – No Charging needed before return.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Inverness– 146.2 miles – Charge before return.
LNER/Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Hull via Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles – No Charging needed before return.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Middlesbrough via Northallerton – 20.3 miles – No Charging needed before return.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Scarborough via York – 42.1 miles – No Charging needed before return.
LNER/Grand Central – London King’s Cross and Sunderland via Northallerton – 47.4 miles – No Charging needed before return.

Note.

The miles are the longest continuous distance without electrification.
Only Aberdeen, Cleethorpes and Inverness would need to charge trains before return.
Inverness may be too far. But is it in range of LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains?

The battery range would also allow LNER to use the Lincoln diversion on the Joint Line.

Why Didn’t LNER Buy More Azumas?

This puzzles me and I suspect it puzzles other people too.

Surely, an all Azuma fleet will be easier to manage.

But in this article on Modern Railways, which is entitled LNER Orders CAF Tri-mode Sets, this is said.

Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.

Note.

Hull would possibly need work to provide some form of charging for battery-electric Azumas, but Harrogate is close enough to be served by a one-battery Azuma.
The CAF Tri-mode sets would certainly handle routes like Cleethorpes, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, but would they really need a ten-car train.
Ten-car trains would also be busy on the Leeds route.
The UK is going to need more 125 mph trains for Cross Country, Grand Central, Grand Union, TransPennine Express and possibly other train companies.
Has Hitachi got the capacity to build the trains in the UK?

So has the Government given the order to CAF to create a level of competition?

Conclusions

These are my conclusions about Hitachi’s battery packs for Class 80x trains, which were written in November 2023.

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.

Hitachi have seen my figures.

They also told me, that they were in line with their figures, but new and better batteries would increase range.

In July 2025, I wrote Batteries Ordered For Grand Central Inter-City Trains, which mentions the following.

Grand Central’s trains will be electric-diesel-battery hybrid inter-city trainsets.
The trains will have lithium ion phosphate batteries.
The trains will be delivered in 2028.
The batteries will be smaller and more powerful, than current batteries.

This is also said about safety, hazards and cybersecurity.

The Safety Integrity Level 2 and IEC 61508 compliant battery management system will detect and mitigate hazards and meet the IEC 62243 cybersecurity standard.

These batteries would appear to give Hitachi and Grand Central Trains everything they want and need.

It looks like the new battery chemistry, will give Hitachi extra range.

November 14, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Battery-Electric Trains, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Decarbonisation, East Coast Main Line, Grand Central Trains, Grand Union Trains, Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE), Hitachi, Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, LNER, Lumo, TransPennine Express | 14 Comments

First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from LNER.

This is the sub-heading.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is pleased to confirm that CAF has been named as the successful bidder to deliver a fleet of 10 new tri-mode trains for LNER. Porterbrook has been chosen as the financier of the new fleet. The trains will be able to operate in electric, battery or diesel mode.

These are the first two paragraphs.

Benefits of tri-mode trains range from a reduction in emissions, particulates, noise and vibration pollution, lower maintenance and operating costs and upgradeable technology, with an expected increase in range and performance as technology develops further. Battery power reduces the need to use diesel traction in areas where overhead powerlines are not available.

Complementing the modern Azuma fleet of 65 trains, the new ten-coach trains will help LNER achieve its vision of becoming the most loved, progressive and trusted train operator in the UK, delivering an exceptional service for the customers and communities served along its 956-mile network.

I have a few thoughts.

Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Diesel Engines?

Consider.

CAF’s Class 195, 196 and 197 Civity trains for the UK all have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.
Porterbrook are headquartered in Derby.
Rolls-Royce are headquartered in Derby.
In Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Agreement Will Drive Rail Decarbonisation, I talked about how the two companies were planning to decarbonise trains using techniques like mtu Hybrid PowerPacks and hydrogen fuel cells.

I would think it very likely that the new trains will have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.

Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Hybrid PowerPacks?

It was in 2018, that I first wrote about mtu Hybrid PowerPacks in Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Launch First Hybrid Rail Project In The UK With MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.

Examples of these power packs are now running in Germany, Ireland and the UK.
The mtu Hybrid PowerPack how has its own web site.
There is also this YouTube video.
If CAF use off-the-shelf mtu Hybrid PowerPacks in their Civity trains, there is one big massive plus – They don’t have to develop the complicated control software to get a combination of diesel engines and batteries to perform as immaculately as Busby Berkeley’s dancers or a Brigade of Guards.
The mtu Hybrid PowerPacks also have a big plus for operators – The batteries don’t need separate charging infrastructure.
In Rolls-Royce Releases mtu Rail Engines For Sustainable Fuels, I talk about how mtu engines can run on sustainable fuels, such as biodiesel or HVO.

I think it is extremely likely that CAF’s new trains for LNER will be powered by mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.

Class 800 And Class 397 Trains Compared

The Class 800 train is LNER’s workhorse to Scotland from London.

The Class 397 train used by TransPennine Express, is a 125 mph Civity train.

Differences include.

The Class 800 train can run at 140 mph, where the signalling allows, but is the Class 397 train only capable of 125 mph?
The Class 397 train accelerate at 0.92 m/s², whereas the Class 800 train can only manage 0.7 m/s².
The Hitachi train has 14 % more seats, 36 First and 290 Standard as opposed to 22 First and 264 Standard in five-car trains.

I will add to this list.

Will The New Trains Be Capable Of 140 mph Running?

As the East Coast Main Line is being fully digitally signalled to allow 140 mph running of the numerous Hitachi expresses on the route, I wouldn’t be surprised to see, that the new CAF trains will be capable of 140 mph.

In this article on Modern Railways, which is entitled LNER Orders CAF Tri-mode Sets, this is said.

The new fleet will be equipped with CAF Signalling’s European Rail Traffic Management System digital signalling. This will align with the East Coast Digital Programme, which aims to introduce European Train Control System (ETCS) on the southern stretch of the East Coast main line from King’s Cross to Stoke Tunnel by 2029.

Later in the article this is said.

LNER has retained 12 ‘91s’ hauling eight rakes of Mk 4s, and the rollout of ETCS is another reason the operator has sought to order the replacement fleet. LNER’s passenger numbers have rebounded more quickly than other operators post-Covid, which has helped make the case for confirming the order.

This does seem sensible.

What Will Be The Range Of The CAF Trains Without Electrification?

The longest LNER route without electrification is the Northern section of the Inverness service between Inverness and Dunblane, which is 146.1 miles. There are also eight stops and some hills.

In Edinburgh to Inverness in the Cab of an HST, there’s a video of the route.

I’m sure that even, if they don’t normally run the new trains to Inverness, being able to do so, could be useful at some point.

It should be noted that the Guinness World Record for battery-electric trains is 139 miles, which is held by a Stadler Akku.

I am left with the conclusion that London and Inverness needs a tri-mode train or lots of electrification. Did this rule out Hitachi?

The Number Of Trains Ordered

The Modern Railways article says this about the number of trains.

The contract includes an eight-year maintenance services agreement with an option to extend; CAF says the order value, including maintenance, exceeds €500 million. When the tender was published the intention was to include an option for five additional sets; LNER confirmed to Modern Railways there is an option to purchase additional sets on top of the base order of 10.

Can we assume this means that other trains will be ordered, if the trains are a success?

Can These New CAF Trains Be Made Net Zero?

This is a paragraph, in the LNER press release.

This new fleet of trains will keep LNER on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045. LNER has already reduced carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared with 2018/19. Per mile, LNER trains produce 15 times less carbon emissions than a domestic flight.

As the new CAF trains will probably have a service life of at least forty years, there must be some way, that these new trains can be made net zero.

Consider.

I am absolutely certain, that the new CAF trains will have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.
LNER’s existing Class 800 and 801 trains have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.

Rolls-Royce mtu according to some of Rolls-Royce’s press releases appear to be developing net zero solutions based on hydrogen or net zero fuels.

This press release from Rolls-Royce is entitled Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests mtu Engines With Pure Hydrogen, suggests that Rolls-Royce mtu are working on a solution.

Routes They Will Serve

The Modern Railways article says this about the routes to be served.

Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.

Note.

This surprised me, as I’d always expected the Yorkshire routes will be served by Hitachi battery-electric trains.
But it does look that both Harrogate and Hull stations, have long enough platforms to hold a ten-car train.
With their tri-mode technology, it also looks like the CAF trains won’t be needed to be charged before returning to London.

The last point would enable them to try out new routes.

These are distances from the electrification of the East Coast Main Line of the destinations that LNER served, where there is not full electrification.

Aberdeen via Ladybank – 91.4 miles
Carlisle via Skipton – 86.8 miles
Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln – 63.9 miles
Harrogate via Leeds – 18.3 miles
Huddersfield via Leeds – 17.2 miles
Hull via Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles
Inverness via Dunblane – 146.1 miles
Lincoln via Newark – 16.7 miles
Middlesbrough via Northallerton – 22.2 miles
Scarborough via York – 42.1 miles
Sunderland via Northallerton – 47.4 miles

Note.

The first place after the ‘via’ is where the electrification ends.
Carlisle could be a possibility during High Speed Two upgrading of the West Coast Main Line or for an enthusiasts’ special or tourist train.
Cleethorpes is a possible new service for LNER. I wrote about this in LNER To Serve Cleethorpes.
Scarborough must be a possible new service for LNER.
All stations can take ten-car trains, with the possible exception of Middlesbrough, which is currently being upgraded.
Huddersfield and Leeds is being electrified under the TransPennine Upgrade.

This would appear to show that LNER need enough bi-mode or tri-mode trains to run services to Aberdeen, Cleethorpes, Harrogate, Hull, Inverness, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

But.

It would appear that the initial batch of trains, will not be serving the North of Scotland.
Aberdeen and Inverness could be served, when there is enough electrification at the Southern end.

I am also fairly sure, that no significant infrastructure is required.

Do Hitachi Have A Problem?

I am starting to wonder, if Hitachi are having trouble with the designing and building of their battery packs.

It’s not like Hitachi to allow someone to run off with a €500 million contract from under their nose.
Are they short of capacity to build the trains at Newton Aycliffe?

But then they’re probably up to their elbows in work on the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

Are There Any Other Routes, Where The New CAF Trains Could Be Employed?

The trains would certainly be suitable for these routes.

Chiltern – InterCity services.
CrossCountry Trains – Fleet replacement
Grand Central Trains – Fleet replacement
Grand Union Trains – For Carmarthen and Stirling open access services.
Great Western Railway – Replacing Castles in the South West.
ScotRail – Replacing Inter7City trains.
South Western Railway – Basingstoke and Exeter St. Davids and other routes.

Note.

CAF could sell a lot of trains.
I estimate that fleet replacement for Grand Central Trans would cost around €350 million
The specification would vary according to the route.

Could CAF have got the LNER order, because they have the capacity in the Newport factory?

Conclusion

It looks like CAF have done a good job in designing the trains.

I’m also fairly sure that CAF are using Rolls-Royce mtu PowerPacks.

November 11, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Biodiesel, CAF, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Civity Train, Class 397 Train, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Decarbonisation, Digital Signalling, East Coast Digital Programme, East Coast Main Line, Grand Central Trains, Grand Union Trains, GWR Castles, High Speed Two, High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, Hitachi, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), Inter7City, LNER, mtu Hybrid PowerPack, Open Access Operators, Porterbrook, Rolls-Royce mtu, Stadler FLIRT Akku, TransPennine Express, Tri-Mode Train, West Coast Main Line | 6 Comments

Cardiff – Edinburgh Open Access Train Service Proposal Under Development

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the first paragraph.

Grand Union has begun industry consultation over a proposal to operate five open access services a day between Cardiff and Edinburgh, and separately is looking at rolling stock options for its planned London – Carmarthen and London – Stirling services.

These are my thoughts.

Current Train Services Between Cardiff and Edinburgh

I have chosen Monday, the 4th of December and find, that the basic fare is £120.40 with changes at Birmingham New Street and Preston, for a journey of six hours and 52 minutes.

There would appear to be three other sensible trains on that day and the others take around seven hours and cost over £230.

Cardiff and Edinburgh, is one of those routes, where the one-third saving of a railcard will pay for the card on the first trip.

Current Flights Between Cardiff and Edinburgh

I have again chosen Monday, the 4th of December and there is one direct flight that takes one hour and 15 minutes and costs £130.

There are flights under forty pounds, via Dublin or Belfast City airports, which take 4½ and 9 hours.

What About The Sleeper?

If you live in Cardiff and want to get to Edinburgh, early on the 4th, it’s probably better to take an evening train to London on the day before and then get the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland.

An ideal train could be a sleeper between Plymouth and Edinburgh, that could be picked up at Bristol Parkway, that I wrote about in Would A North-East And South West Sleeper Service Be A Good Idea?.

But that train is only a proposal.

Although, there could be a luxury coach or conveniently-timed direct train to link Swansea, Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay to Bristol Parkway for the sleeper.

I Feel That A Cardiff and Edinburgh Service May Have Possibilities

Grand Union are proposing to operate five open access services a day between Cardiff and Edinburgh, which seems about right.

I estimate that the service would take around seven hours. But that time is based on the fastest journeys to Birmingham New Street from both ends of the route.

Breaking it down further into three legs via Birmingham New Street and Doncaster, following times could be possible.

Cardiff and Birmingham New Street – two hours and five minutes
Birmingham New Street and Doncaster – two hours and five minutes
Doncaster and Edinburgh – three hours and ten minutes

Note.

These times are based on average of the better times of the day.
They could probably be improved by more electrification and a bi-mode train like a Class 802 or Class 755 train.

They total up to seven hours and twenty minutes.

Intermediate Stops

These are listed as Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Gloucester, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Times and distances for the various legs are as follows.

Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction – 21.6 miles – Electrified – 26 mins
Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove – 72.5 miles – Not Electrified – One hour and thirteen mins
Bromsgrove and Birmingham New Street – 14.3 miles – Electrified – 21 mins
Birmingham New Street and Derby – 41.2 miles – Not Electrified – 33 mins
Derby and Sheffield – 36.4 miles – Being Electrified – 30 mins
Sheffield and Doncaster – 16.8 miles – Not Electrified – 24 mins
Doncaster and Edinburgh – 237.1 miles – Electrified – two hours and 54 mins

These add up to six hours and 21 minutes.

Is Cardiff and Edinburgh An Ideal Route For A Battery-Electric Train?

The route has three unelectrified sections

Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove – 72.5 miles
Birmingham New Street and Derby – 41.2 miles
Sheffield and Doncaster – 16.8 miles

Note.

I am assuming Derby and Sheffield is electrified, under the Midland Main Line Electrification.
The longest unelectrified section is the 72.5 miles between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove.
All three unelectrified sections are sandwiched between two electrified sections, that are long enough to charge the trains.

A battery-electric train with a range of 80-90 miles should be able to handle the route.

As Cardiff and Swansea is only 45.7 miles, with a range of 100 miles, the service could be extended to Swansea.

Competition

This article on Rail Advent is entitled New Cardiff – Scotland Train Service Announced As Part Of New CrossCountry Contract.

This is the relevant paragraph.

Building on the changes made to the timetables in May this year, further enhancements will include a new direct service daily between Cardiff and Edinburgh to strengthen connections across Great Britain.

Will this bang a hole in Grand Union’s plans or is there room in the market for two operators?

On the other hand LNER and Hull Trains run a 1/5 split on the King’s Cross and Hull route.

Tourism

In the past ten years, I’ve travelled regularly between London and Edinburgh by train.

On those trips, I’ve met a large number of tourists from countries like Canada, Germany, Italy and the United States.
Many were also visiting Paris using the Eurostar.
Cardiff, Edinburgh and King’s Cross all have excellent hotels nearby.
There are other historic and/or large cities on the route, who might like to get in on the act, like Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield and York.
Cities, hotels, museums and the train companies could form a marketing group.

Cardiff and Edinburgh would complete a very useful triangular route for anoraks, business travellers and tourists.

Conclusion

Cardiff and Edinburgh could be a new route that would work well!

October 24, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Caledonian Sleeper, Cardiff Central Station, Class 755 Train, Class 802 Train, CrossCountry Trains, Edinburgh Station, Grand Union Trains, Midland Main Line Electrification, NESW Sleeper, Open Access Operators, Sleeper Trains | 3 Comments

TransPennine Express To Stop Using Loco-Hauled Push-Pull Trains In December

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the sub-heading.

TransPennine Express has confirmed that it will cease using its push-pull sets of Class 68 locomotives and MkVa coaches, previously designated Nova 3 sets, from the December 2023 timetable change.

These are my thoughts.

The Nova 3 Trains

Currently, the Nova 3 trains are made up from the following.

Note.

There have been complaints about the noise of the Class 68 locomotives at Scarborough and also at Marylebone with Chiltern Railways.
The Class 68 locomotives could be switched to freight duties.
The coaches are capable of 125 mph.
A maximum of thirteen sets can be created.
I suspect CAF wouldn’t object to being asked to build some more Mark 5a coaches and driving van trailers.
The current fleet has a spare locomotive and a spare driving van trailer to allow for servicing.

All locomotives and coaches are a maximum of seven years old, so will have plenty of life left.

The Class 93 Locomotive

Rail Operations Group have ordered ten Class 93 locomotives, with twenty options, which have an impressive specification.

Built by Stadler in Valencia.
Same family as a Class 68 and 88 locomotive.
Electric, diesel and battery power
110 mph operating speed
Ability to pull passenger and freight trains.
Delivery scheduled for 2023.

I believe that if the Class 68 diesel locomotive of a Nova 3 train, were to be replaced with a Class 93 locomotive, a very useful train would be created.

It would be ten mph faster, than a Nova 3 train.
It could use the diesel engine and the batteries to bridge gaps in electrification.
By adding extra carriages it could be tailored to the needs of a route.
In Vegetable Oil Fuelling Chiltern Railways Trains In UK First, I discuss how it might be possible to run all these locomotives on HVO to cut emissions.
It could be quieter.

Could it be a simple way to reduce carbon emissions on a route?

The Successor To The Class 93 Locomotive

Stadler keep innovating in their designs for locomotives and are already building hydrogen-powered multiple units.

I can see Stadler coming up with a hydrogen-powered locomotive, with the following specification.

In the same family as Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives.
Ability to do everything that Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives can do.
Ability to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists.
Ability to be able to be fitted with third-rail equipment, so it can use 750 VDC third-rail electrification, where it exists.
At least a 110 mph operating speed.
Range of at least 200 miles on hydrogen.

Stadler would sell a lot of these locomotives to decarbonise railways all over the world.

Possible Routes

These are possible routes for a rake of Mark 5a coaches hauled by a Class 93 locomotive or its zero-carbon successor.

Hull Trains

Consider.

Hull Trains is an open access operator.
Hull Trains currently have a fleet of five Class 802 trains, each of which have five-cars.
A Class 93 locomotive has a power of 900 kW on diesel, whereas the Class 802 train has 2100 kW.
The Class 802 train has nearly ten percent more capacity.
In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I saw two Class 802 trains working as a pair. Does this indicate they have a capacity problem?
Between Hull and the East Coast Main Line is only 36.1 miles and isn’t very challenging and I suspect could probably be easily handled by a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.
Adding extra coaches would not be difficult and would probably be less costly than with the more complex Class 802 trains.
Hull Trains need to have a plan to decarbonise.
HVO could be used to cut down emissions.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Would other operators of Class 802 trains like to increase their fleets, by adding Hull Trains’s five Class 802 trains?

TransPennine Express

Consider.

TransPennine Express currently have four different fleets of trains, so it must cause problems with the allocation of drivers.
The Class 397 trains are confined to the West Coast Main Line.
So that leaves the bi-mode Class 802 trains and the diesel Class 185 trains to work the TransPennine routes.

The Wikipedia entry for the Class 802 train, gives more details of the plans for the Class 802 trains.

During October 2021, it was announced that TransPennine Express, Hitachi, and Angel Trains had agreed to convert one of the former’s Nova 1 trainsets into a battery hybrid train on a trial basis with the aim of supporting the technology’s further development. If successful, Hitachi and Angel Trains have proposed the retrofitting of the entire fleet. In January 2022, reports emerged that the Nova 1 fleet was operating under diesel power even when operating on entirely electrified sections of the East Coast Main Line on account of the insufficient power supplies present along the line; national railway infrastructure owner Network Rail is reportedly set to complete upgrades to the power supplies within two years.

The fleet is also set to benefit from the rollout of electrification under the Transpennine route upgrade scheme. The company’s management has noted that, in the event of largescale electrification being funded and implemented, the Class 802s could have some of their engines removed to reduce roughly 15% of their weight and thus raise their efficiency. Furthermore, Leo Goodwin, TPE’s managing director, has observed that while the Class 802s have an initial maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), they have the capability of being modified for operating at 140 mph (230 km/h) if infrastructure upgrades were to permit such speeds at a future date.

Could an augmented fleet of battery-electric Class 802 trains handle the bulk of the TransPennine routes, with the shorter and unelectrified ones still being handled by the Class 185 trains?

These shorter routes are.

Leeds and Huddersfield
Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
York and Scarborough

Plans only exist to electrify Leeds and Huddersfield.

I suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed.

Great Western Railway

Could a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches be used as a replacement for the GWR Castles or short-formation InterCity125s?

They both have four passenger coaches.
They are both 125 mph trains.
A Class 68 locomotive could be used on routes without electrification.
HVO could be used to cut down emissions.
The Mark 5a coaches would probably be quieter, as they only have one diesel engine.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Alternatively, five-car Class 802 trains could be used as replacements for GWR Castles.

Great Western Railway also have the problem of decarbonising services between Bristol/Gloucester and Weymouth/Southampton/Portsmouth.

Great Western Railway look like they’re needing some innovative thinking.

I also suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed for other routes.

Transport For Wales Rail

Transport for Wales Rail run a Premier Service between Holyhead and Cardiff using Class 67 locomotives and Mark 4 coaches.

According to the Wikipedia entry for Transport for Wales Rail, they have seven sets of 4/5 coaches to run this service.

If Transport for Wales Rail wanted to decarbonise this route, they would need to replace the locomotives for a zero-carbon unit.

Perhaps, their best solution, would be to wait until a suitable hydrogen-powered locomotive is available and buy seven rakes of new coaches with driving van trailers.

Grand Union

Grand Union has a detailed Wikipedia entry, where this is the first paragraph.

Grand Union is a prospective open access operator who are proposing to operate train services in the United Kingdom from England to Wales and Scotland. Grand Union is headed by Ian Yeowart, who founded previous open access operators Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both to Arriva.

That seems a sound foundation.

They have permission to run trains between Paddington and Carmarthen starting in December 2024.
They have also applied to run trains between Euston and Stirling.
They are now backed by Spanish companies; Serena Industrial Partners and Renfe.
They are proposing to use nine Mark 4 coaches hauled by Class 93 locomotives.

Consider.

CAF has a factory in Wales.
CAF has sold trains to Transport for Wales.
The Mark 5a coaches will definitely be available by December 2024.
Mark 5a coaches could easily be arranged as a rake of eight coaches and a driving van trailer.
Grand Union is backed by Spanish companies.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Grand Union were to use sets of CAF-built Mark 5a coaches for their Carmarthen service. And later for their Stirling service.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Grand Central

Consider.

Grand Central is another open access operator.
Grand Central has a mixed fleet of twelve five-car diesel trains.
These trains run under electrification on the East Coast Main Line.
According to the Wikipedia entry for Grand Central trains, they have plans for expansion across the North and to and from London.
Grand Central need to have a plan to decarbonise.
HVO could be used to cut down emissions.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

South Western Railway

South Western Railway have an excellent fleet of new or nearly new trains, with the exception of the diesel Class 158 and Class 159 trains, that work services between Waterloo and Exeter trains via Basingstoke and Salisbury.

Waterloo and Exeter is 172 miles.
Only the 47.7 miles between Waterloo and Basingstoke is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
Train lengths vary between five and eight cars.
The current trains date from around 1990 and must need replacing soon.

I wouldn’t be surprised that if after a rebranding with new trains, this could be a popular route.

A version of Hitachi’s ubiquitous bi-mode Class 802 could be used.

But.

They would need to be ordered and built.
The third-rail gear, would need to be developed and tested.
Passengers would be travelling for over two and a half hours with underfloor diesel engines.

An alternative could be a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.

These trains would be available after release from TransPennine Express.
They would run in TransPennine Express formation.
Length could be adjusted by adding or removing coaches, if required.
The noise is all in the locomotive, which is isolated from the passengers.

At some point in the future, the route could be decarbonised by swapping the locomotive for a hydrogen-electric locomotive with the ability to handle third-rail electrification.

ScotRail

ScotRail have a similar problem to Great Western Railway with their short-formation InterCity125s.

They have 52 Class 43 locomotives and 120 Mark 3 coaches, which is probably enough for 24 trains.
Scotland has substantial amounts of electrification.
I feel that a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches would be a more than adequate replacement.
Class 93 locomotives could be used where routes are partially electrified.
Scotland is not going to be short of green hydrogen.

When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be decarbonised.

CrossCountry

CrossCountry have a fleet consisting of the following trains.

5 – 2+7 InterCity125 trains
7 – two-car Class 170 trains
22 – three-car Class 170 trains
34 – four-car Class 220 trains
4 – four-car Class 221 trains
20 – five-car Class 221 trains

Note.

The fleet is all diesel.
I’ll ignore the Class 170 trains in this analysis.
The Class 220 and 221 trains often work in pairs to provide the required capacity.

So how could these trains be decarbonised?

The InterCity125s and the Class 220 and 221 trains could be replaced by a locomotive-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.
Motive power could be provided by an appropriate Class 68 or 93 locomotive.

When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be fully decarbonised.

Decarbonisation Of UK Main Line Services

It is generally assumed that the railways of the UK will need to fully decarbonise if the UK and the constituent nations are going to meet their decarbonisation targets.

I believe that my analysis shows that decarbonisation of main line passenger services can be achieved by the purchase of two types of trains.

Five-car bi-mode Class 802 trains or similar.
Locomotive-hauled rakes of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.

Note.

The Class 802 trains would be mainly to augment existing Hitachi fleets.
Some Class 802 trains would be fitted with batteries instead of diesel generators to handle gaps in the electrification.
The rakes of coaches would be powered by an appropriate locomotive.
The lengths of the rakes of coaches would be adjusted to meet the demand of each service.

Initially, the following locomotives would be used.

Class 68 locomotives would be used on unelectrified lines.
Class 93 locomotives would be used on full or partially electrified lines.

When the hydrogen-electric locomotives become available, these would take over the routes, which couldn’t be decarbonised by full electrification or by using a Class 93 locomotive.

August 31, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | CAF, Chiltern Railways, Class 185 Train, Class 397 Train, Class 68 Locomotive, Class 93 Locomotive, Driving Van Trailer, Grand Central Trains, Grand Union Trains, GWR Castles, Hull Trains, Hydrogen-Powered Trains, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), InterCity 125, Mark 5A Coach, Nova 3 Train, Open Access Operators, Rail Operations (UK) Limited, RENFE, ScotRail, Serena Industrial Partners, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales | 7 Comments

Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the Office of Rail and Road.

This is the sub-heading of the press release.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has opened up the Great Western Main Line to competition and enabled a significant increase in rail services between London and South Wales.

These points are made in the press release.

The rail regulator has approved the introduction of new train services between London, Cardiff and South West Wales from the end of 2024.
The services will be operated by a new open access operator, Grand Union Trains, bringing competition to the Great Western route out of Paddington.
Passengers travelling between London, Bristol Parkway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport, Cardiff, Gowerton, Llanelli and Carmarthen will benefit from an extra five daily return services and greater choice of operator.
The decision opens up the Great Western Main Line to competition for the first time, with potential benefits in terms of lower fares, improved service quality and innovation for all passengers using the route.
The application, submitted to ORR in June 2022, was disputed by Network Rail due to concerns about capacity on the network. But following careful consideration and analysis, ORR has directed Network Rail to enter into a contract with Grand Union.
Grand Union has committed to significant investment in new trains.
As an ‘open access’ train operator, however, it will not get paid subsidies from public funds, unlike current operators along the route.

ORR supports new open access where it delivers competition for the benefit of passengers. In making this decision, the regulator has weighed this up against the impact on Government funds and effect on other users of the railway, both passengers and freight customers.

These are my thoughts.

The Company

Grand Union Trains have certainly persevered to get this approval.

The company was created by Ian Yeowart, who previously created open access operators; Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both to Arriva.
After multiple negotiations with the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), Yeowart must know how to get an acceptable deal.
Grand Union Trains have a similar application for a service between Euston and Stirling with the ORR.

Grand Union Trains also have a web site.

The home page has a mission statement of Railways To Our Core, with this statement underneath.

At Grand Union we are passionate about Britain’s railways. We are committed to the traditional values of providing a high-quality customer service and a comfortable journey experience at a fair price.

I’ll go with that.

The Financial Backing Of The Company

All the UK’s open access operators are well-financed either by Arriva or First Group.

The ORR would not receive any thanks, if they approved an operator, which duly went bust.

So what is the quality of the financing behind Grand Union Trains?

This article on Railway Gazette is entitled RENFE Looks At Entering UK Rail Market Through Open Access Partnership, which starts with this paragraph.

Open access passenger service developer Grand Union Trains is working with Spain’s national operator RENFE and private equity firm Serena Industrial Partners on a proposed service between London and Wales.

That is fairly clear and would surely help in the financing of Grand Union Trains.

The Route

Trains will run between Carmarthen and London Paddington, with stops at Llanelli, Gowerton, Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway.

A new station at Felindre will replace Gowerton at some time in the future.

There will be five trains per day (tpd).

I have some thoughts and questions about the route

Felindre Station

Felindre station is named in Wikipedia as the West Wales Parkway station, where it is introduced like this.

West Wales Parkway is a proposed railway station north of Swansea, near to the boundaries of the neighbouring principal area of Carmarthenshire, and the villages of Felindre and Llangyfelach. The station is proposed to be situated at the former Felindre steelworks, near Junction 46 of the M4 and A48, and near Felindre Business Park and Penllergaer Business Park. The project is in the planning stages, as part of a wider Department for Transport proposal to re-open the Swansea District line to passenger traffic.

This Google Map shows where, it appears the Felindre station will be built.

Note.

The Felindre Business Park in the North-West corner of the map, with a Park-and-Ride.
The M4 running across the bottom of the map.
The Swansea District Line runs East-West between the motorway and the Business Park.

It looks that the new station could be located on the South side of the Business Park.

When High Speed Two Opens Will Trains Call At Old Oak Common?

When High Speed Two opens, all GWR trains will stop at Old Oak Common station for these connections.

Chiltern for for Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and the West Midlands
Elizabeth Line for Central and East London and the Thames Valley
Heathrow Airport
High Speed Two for Birmingham and the North
Overground for Outer London

As Old Oak Common will be such an important interchange, I think they should.

Will The Platforms At Carmarthen Station Need Lengthening?

This Google Map shows Carmarthen station.

Note.

The station has two platforms.
There are certainly pictures of the station with an InterCity 125 in the station. There is a picture on the Wikipedia entry for Carmarthen station.

These pictures show the station.

I suspect that the station will be upgraded to accommodate Grand Union Trains.

The Trains

An article in the June 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Grand Union Bids For London To Carmarthen, gives these details of the trains.

Three classes.
2023 start for the service.
Cycle provision.
Vanload freight will be carried.
Electric trains could start between London and Cardiff by 2023.
In 2025, trains could be nine-car bi-modes.
South Wales-based operation and maintenance.
125 full-time jobs created.

It certainly seems to be a comprehensive and well-thought out plan.

I have a few thoughts on the trains.

What Make Of Trains Will Be Procured?

Consider.

Lumo’s Class 803 trains were ordered from Hitachi in March 2019 and entered service in October 2021.
So if they ordered their version of the Hitachi trains by the end of 2022, the trains could be in service by July/August 2025.
It would probably be easier, if the only fast trains on the Great Western Main Line between London and South Wales were all Hitachi trains with identical performance.

But the Spanish backers of Grand Union Trains may prefer Spanish-designed trains assembled in South Wales. So would a bi-mode version of CAF’s Class 397 trains be suitable?

On the other hand, the Carmarthen and Cardiff section of the route without a reverse at Swansea is only seventy-five miles.

This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train.

Consider.

Charging could be provided at Carmarthen using a short length of electrification or one of Furrer + Frey standard chargers.
Charging would also use the electrification between London Paddington and Cardiff.
A nine-car Class 800 or Class 802 train has five engines and a five-car train has three engines.
The Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train was announced in December 2022.
In the intervening two years how far has the project progressed?
For the last twelve months, Lumo have been running trains with an emergency battery-pack for hotel power. How are the batteries doing, whilst being ferried up and down, the East Coast Main Line?

Can Hitachi configure a train with more than one battery-pack and a number of diesel engines, that has a range of seventy-five miles? I suspect they can.

I suspect that CAF also have similar technology.

There is also a benefit to Great Western Railway (GWR).

If GWR were able to fit out their Class 802 trains in the same way, they would be able to run between Cardiff and Swansea on battery power.

It is only 45.7 miles.
Charging would need to be provided at Swansea.
GWR could still run their one tpd service to Carmarthen.

It looks like both train operating companies could be able to do as Lumo does and advertise all electric services.

What Could Be The Maxmum Range Of A Hitachi Train On Batteries?

This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Regional Battery Train.

Consider.

It has a battery range of 90 km or 56 miles on the single battery.
I would expect that by a regional train, Hitachi mean a five car Class 800 or 802 train, like those that go to Cheltenham, Lincoln or Middlesbrough.
A five-car Hitachi Regional Battery Train would have a battery that could contain power equivalent to 280 car-miles.
Five-car Class 800 or 802 trains have three engine positions.
These Hitachi trains have a very sophisticated control system, which I wrote about in Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?

I believe the engineers at Hyperdrive Innovation have designed the battery-packs that replace the diesel engines as simulations of the diesel engines, so they can be a direct replacement.

This would mean that battery-packs could be additive, so the following could apply to a five-car train.

Two battery packs could have a range of 112 miles.
Three battery packs could have a range of 168 miles.

GWR generally runs pairs of five-car trains to Swansea, which would be 90 miles without electrification.

If five-car trains with two battery packs, could be given a range of 112 miles, GWR could run an electric service to Swansea.

They could also run to Carmarthen, if Grand Union Trains would share the charger.

What ranges could be possible with nine-car trains, if one battery pack is good for 280 car-miles?

One battery-pack, gives a range of 280/9 = 31 miles
Two battery-packs, give a range of 2*280/9 = 62 miles
Three battery-packs, give a range of 3*280/9 = 93 miles
Four battery-packs, give a range of 4*280/9 = 124 miles
Five battery-packs, give a range of 5*280/9 = 155 miles
Six battery-packs, give a range of 6*280/9 = 187 miles
Seven battery-packs, give a range of 7*280/9 = 218 miles

Note.

I have rounded figures to the nearest mile.
There are five cars with diesel engines in a nine-car train, which are in cars 2,3,5, 7 and 8.
Diesel engines are also placed under the driver cars in five-car Class 810 trains.
For the previous two reasons, I feel that the maximum numbers of diesel engines in a nine-car train could be a maximum of seven.
I have therefor assumed a maximum of seven battery packs.

These distances seem sensational, but when you consider that Stradler’s Flirt Akku has demonstrated a battery range of 243 kilometres or 150 miles, I don’t think they are out of order.

But, if they are correct, then the ramifications are enormous.

Large numbers of routes could become electric without any infrastructure works.
Grand Union Trains would be able to run to Carmarthen and back without a charger at Carmarthen.
GWR would be able to run to Swansea and back without a charger at Swansea.

Prudence may mean strategic chargers are installed.

Rrenewable Energy Developments In South West Wales

In Enter The Dragon, I talked about renewable energy developments in South West Wales.

I used information from this article on the Engineer, which is entitled Unlocking The Renewables Potential Of The Celtic Sea.

The article on the Engineer finishes with this conclusion.

For now, Wales may be lagging slightly behind its Celtic cousin to the north, but if the true potential of the Celtic Sea can be unleashed – FLOW, tidal stream, lagoon and wave – it looks set to play an even more prominent role in the net zero pursuit.

The Red Dragon is entering the battle to replace Vlad the Mad’s tainted energy.

South West Wales could see a massive renewable energy boom.

Grand Union Trains will increase the capacity to bring in more workers to support the developments from South Wales and Bristol.

December 3, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Arriva, CAF, Carmarthen Station, Celtic Sea, Class 397 Train, Elizabeth Line, Felindre Station, FirstGroup, Furrer + Frey, Grand Union Trains, Great Western Main Line, Great Western Railway, Heathrow Airport, High Speed Two, Hitachi, Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, Hitachi Regional Battery Train, Lumo, Office Of Rail And Road, Old Oak Common Station, Open Access Operators, Paddington Station, RENFE, Serena Industrial Partners, South Wales Main Line, Stadler FLIRT Akku, Wales | 5 Comments

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About This Blog

What this blog will eventually be about I do not know.

But it will be about how I’m coping with the loss of my wife and son to cancer in recent years and how I manage with being a coeliac and recovering from a stroke. It will be about travel, sport, engineering, food, art, computers, large projects and London, that are some of the passions that fill my life.

And hopefully, it will get rid of the lonely times, from which I still suffer.

Why Anonymous? That’s how you feel at times.

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The Anonymous Widower

Could Open Access Operators Use High Speed Two?

Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line

ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling

More Open Access Services Could Be On The Way

What Will Be The Power Unit In LNER’s New CAF Tri-Mode Trains?

The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains

First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line

Cardiff – Edinburgh Open Access Train Service Proposal Under Development

TransPennine Express To Stop Using Loco-Hauled Push-Pull Trains In December

Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington

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