How Will The East Coast Main Line Timetable Change Affect Sheffield?
This article in the October 2025 Edition of Modern Railways is entitled Industry Gears Up For December ECML Timetable Change.
This is the first paragraph.
Major changes are planned to trains along the East Coast main line from 14 December as the long-heralded timetable takes effect.
In this post, I will see how the changes detailed in the article in Modern Railways will affect Sheffield and Doncaster.
Aberdeen-Edinburgh
This is said about Aberdeen and Edinburgh services.
Monday-Saturday services will not change between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with all intermediate stations served at similar times.
The LNER service to and from King’s Cross will call additionally at Doncaster, Newark Northgate and Peterborough; the last LNER Monday-Friday departure from Aberdeen will terminate at Doncaster instead of Leeds, and the first LNER Monday-Saturday train to Aberdeen will start from King’s Cross at 05:48 instead of Leeds.
Note.
- An hourly fast train between Edinburgh and King’s Cross will have a journey time of 4 hours and 10 minutes, which is a saving of at least 12 minutes.
- There is an Aberdeen-Manchester air service, but no Edinburgh-Manchester or Leeds-Scotland air services.
- In Could London And Central Scotland Air Passengers Be Persuaded To Use The Trains?, I speculated about how air passengers could be tempted to use the trains between London and Central Scotland.
- It looks to me, that LNER are strengthening their services between Doncaster and Scotland.
- Will that 05:48 King’s Cross departure for Aberdeen, enable a working day in Aberdeen and return?
Is LNER’s aim to get travellers to use the trains between Doncaster and Scotland, as an alternative to driving or trains from Leeds?
Alnmouth and Berwick
This is said about Alnmouth services.
Quicker LNER journey times are promised to stations South of York, with King’s Cross-Alnmouth journey times up to 15 minutes quicker.
More TPE trains will run between Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick, Reston, Dunbar, East Linton and Edinburgh Waverley.
The number of trains calling at Durham on weekdays will fall from 18 to 13 Southbound and from 15 to 10 Northbound.
This is said about Berwick services.
LNER trains will call every two hours during the middle of the day, and the number of weekday trains to King’s Cross falls from 15 to 11 Southbound with a 13 to nine fall Northbound. More TPE trains will call.
Note.
- Lumo serves Newcastle, Morpeth and Edinburgh.
- Reston and East Linton are new stations.
- The stations between Newcastle and Edinburgh need adequate parking to attract commuters.
It looks to me, that LNER are timing the trains to attract day trips along the East Coast Main Line.
Bradford Forster Square/Interchange
This is said about Bradford Forster Square services.
The number of weekday trains will remain as per May 2025, but on Sundays, the number of trains serving Forster Square increases from two to six each way on a two-hourly interval. LNER stopping patterns change, with fewer trains calling at Peterborough and none at Grantham or Retford.
Trains currently stop at Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Shipley, but surely a more regular six trains per day (tpd) is preferable.
This is said about Bradford Interchange services.
At Interchange, Grand Central Trains will run at different times to the May 2025 timetable, with King’s Cross journeys up to 20 minutes quicker. One GC each way will call at Peterborough, while some will stop at Pontefract Monkhill on Sundays for the first time.
Note.
- Trains currently stop at Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
- Is the twenty minutes time saving due to the new digital signalling to the South of Doncaster?
- Is this another open access operator being allowed to do what they do best?
This looks to be a very useful service, which serves several stations, with no other service to London.
Doncaster
This is said about Doncaster services.
Additional trains calling at destinations including Birmingham New Street, Sheffield, York, Newark and Berwick-upon-Tweed. LNER Aberdeen/Inverness trains will call at Doncaster. EMR trains will be retimed at Doncaster to provide better connections with LNER’s revised timetables, but journeys from Doncaster to Sleaford and Spalding will require a change at Lincoln. This change has been made to “enable improved connections” at Peterborough, Sleaford, Lincoln and Doncaster. The number of trains calling at Stevenage falls from 24 to 19 Southbound and 24 to 21 Northbound, with Grantham stops dropping by seven trains to 28 Southbound and 4 to 29 Northbound.
If CrossCountry Trains were to switch their trains to Hitachi InterCity Battery trains, I believe that a version of these trains could handle routes like Plymouth and Aberdeen.
- This would speed up services.
- Trains would run close together and thus increase capacity.
- Services could even be faster.
So expect a replacement order for CrossCountry Trains diesel multiple units soon.
Glasgow
LNER gave up serving Glasgow Central from King’s Cross in the December 2024 timetable change.
In Lumo Will Extend Its King’s Cross And Edinburgh Service To Glasgow, I talked about Lumo extending their King’s Cross and Edinburgh service to Glasgow Central station.
Hull
This is said about Hull services.
On Mondays-Fridays, Hull Trains will provide an extra train from London.
The LNER Monday-Friday Hull-Doncaster train will be withdrawn;
Northern will operate a 20:25 departure to Doncaster; calling at Brough and Selby.
Note.
- It looks like Great British Railways have surrendered Hull and Beverley to Hull Trains.
- Hull Trains are converting their Class 802 trains to battery-electric power.
- It is likely that Hull Trains upgraded trains will be able to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line via Lincoln on battery power.
The new timetable appears to be ready for the future of Hull Trains.
Leeds
This is said about Leeds services.
LNER services will depart to King’s Cross at xx.10 and xx.40.
Northern will introduce an extra mostly hourly service between Leeds and Sheffield calling at Wakefield Westgate. They will depart about 30 minutes earlier or later than the CrossCountry service.
Note.
- I would expect the two King’s Cross and Leeds services which would both stop at Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate would set the timings between Doncaster and Leeds.
- Currently, of the four trains that run to and from Leeds every two hours, two are planned to terminate at Leeds, one at Harrogate and one at Bradford Forster Square.
- There is also a daily service between King’s Cross and Skipton via Leeds.
- I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Ilkley via Leeds, Kirkstall Forge, Guiseley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ben Rhydding.
- I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Huddersfield, via Leeds, White Rose, Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield and Deighton.
- I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Hebden Bridge, via Leeds, White Rose, Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Brighouse.
- An alternative to Hebden Bridge would be Rochdale, which already has four platforms and is on the Manchester Metrolink
- It appears that Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Leeds and Skipton stations can turn nine or ten-car trains and Ilkley can turn five-car trains.
- I also believe that one of Hitachi’s InterCity Battery trains could use battery power to take the spectacular Settle and Carlisle Line to Carlisle or even Glasgow Central.
- If needed pairs of five-car trains could split and join at Leeds, with one train waiting at Leeds and the other train going on to another destination.
- The CrossCountry and Northern Trains services on the Sheffield and Leeds route via Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate would probably need to be modern battery-electric trains to maximise the capacity on the route.
There certainly seem to be opportunities to give a number of stations in Yorkshire an all-electric service to King’s Cross with a two-hourly frequency, in a time of a few minutes over two hours.
Lincoln
This is said about Lincoln services.
One more LNER train from King’s Cross will run, with the first train arriving earlier and the last train later. There will no longer be an LNER train serving Stevenage with passengers having to change at Newark Northgate or Peterborough. An improved service will run to and from Nottingham, with an increase from one to two trains per hour on Mondays-Saturdays. An hourly service will run to Crewe, and a new Matlock-Nottingham-Lincoln-Cleethorpes service will run. EMR will cease all bar morning peak direct trains to/from Leicester. Newark Northgate-Lincoln trains will be reduced from five to four on Mondays-Fridays, eight to four on Saturdays and ten to eight on Sundays.
Note.
- Travellers between Lincoln/Nottingham and the North/Scotland will have two trains per hour to Newark Northgate, where there will be two tph to the North/Scotland.
- The hourly Crewe service will give access to Liverpool Manchester and the West Coast Main Line.
- Will there still be a Liverpool and Norwich service or will this be replaced by East-West Rail?
There seems to be a big sort out to EMR services.
Newcastle
This is said about Newcastle services.
The number of trains serving King’s Cross increases from 35 to 53 Southbound on weekdays and from 36 to 52 Northbound. One train every hour will run non-stop to York. More TPE trains will run Northbound (see Alnmouth and Berwick), while Northern is retiming services on the Northumberland Line in anticipation of Northumberland Park and Bedlington stations opening in early 2026. A semi-fast hourly service between Newcastle and Middlesbrough will run on Mondays-Saturdays and there will be an hourly stopping service between them.
Note.
- There will be a big increase in services between King’s Cross and Newcastle.
- Is the aim to persuade travellers to use trains rather than airlines?
- LNER also runs one train per day (tpd) between King’s Cross and Middlesbrough.
- Grand Central Trains will be running at a frequency of six tpd between King’s Cross and Sunderland via Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe, Hartlepool and Seaham.
Hull appears to have been left to Hull Trains and Glasgow to Lumo, and Sunderland appears to be left for Grand Central Trains.
Conclusions
I am coming to some conclusions about services on the East Coast Main Line, with respect to Sheffield.
Doncaster Is A Well-Equipped Station
Doncaster is the nearest station to Sheffield on the East Coast Main Line.
- Over the last few years, Doncaster station has been improved.
- It has a subway with a more than adequate number of lifts.
- The station has nearly 600 parking spaces.
- There is a taxi rank.
- There is no Marks & Spencer’s food store, which is important for a coeliac like me.
- There are thirty bus stands close to Doncaster station.
- Doncaster station is well-equipped with cafes, a pub and coffee stalls.
- All trains to Aberdeen, Bradford Forster Square, Bradford Interchange, Edinburgh, Hull, King’s Cross, Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield seem to stop at the station.
- There are several local trains per hour.
- Changing trains is not a strenuous exercise.
Doncaster is one of the UK’s better regional stations.
Doncaster Needs A Connection To The Sheffield Supertram
One of the first things, I do when I arrive in a strange town or city is look for the local public transport network.
In 2019, Sheffield published an ambitious plan for their tram network, which I wrote about in Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
The post contained this map, of Sheffield’s plans for the trams.
Doncaster and Doncaster Sheffield Airport are connected to the current end of the tram-train route at Rotherham Parkgate.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail lines between Rotherham Parkgate and Doncaster.
Note.
- Doncaster station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Rotherham Central station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The blue arrow in the South-West corner indicates Rotherham Parkgate tram stop.
- Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough stations can be picked out.
- The dotted red line running North-South across the map is the route of the ill-fated Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
It is a simple application of tram-train technology to connect Doncaster station and Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the Sheffield Supertram.
With all the comings and goings on the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster station, I believe that the tram-train connection to Sheffield and Rotherham is essential.
The Cities Of Bradford, Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield Can Have a High-Frequency Rail Connection
Consider.
- Four stations are all step-free with a bridge or subway served by lifts.
- Bradford Forster Square station has level access to the platforms from the street.
- The rail lines between the five stations are electrified, with the exception of Sheffield and Doncaster.
- Services between the cities are run by CrossCountry Trains, Grand Central Trains, Hull Trains, LNER and Northern Trains.
- Most maximum speeds are not unduly slow.
Consequently the five cities can have a high-frequency rail connection in excess of four tph.
Could this be the basis of a Five-Cities Metro?
Open Access Services
There are six open access services running on the East Coast Main Line.
- Grand Central Trains – King’s Cross-Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – 4 tpd
- Grand Central Trains – King’s Cross-Sunderland via Peterborough, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – 6 tpd
- Hull Trains – King’s Cross-Hull via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough – 4 tpd
- Hull Trains – King’s Cross-Beverley via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough, Hull and Cottingham – 2 tpd
- Lumo – King’s Cross-Edinbugh via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth – 5 tpd
- Lumo – King’s Cross-Glasgow Queen Street via Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth, Edinburgh and Falkirk High – 2 tpd
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- All seem to serve an exclusive area, except Lumo.
- In a couple of years, all could be using Hitachi trains.
- I suspect some services will swap their diesel generators for batteries.
Battery-power would allow some services to be zero-carbon, even when using the GNGE diversion.
Train Lengths Between King’s Cross and Edinburgh
If you ask Google, what is the platform length at King’s Cross station, you get the following answers.
- Platform 0 – 305 metres
- Platform 1 – 304 metres
- Platform 2 – 285 metres
- Platform 3 – 289 metres
- Platform 4 – 290 metres
- Platform 5 – 270 metres
- Platform 6 – 288 metres
- Platform 7 – 288 metres
- Platform 8 – 289 metres
- Platform 9 – 276 metres
- Platform 10 – 276 metres
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks linking to the eleven platforms at King’s Cross.
Note.
- The red tracks are the electrified platforms in King’s Cross.
- The two pink tracks are the Piccadilly Line underneath the station.
- Platform 0 is on the right and Platform 10 is on the left.
- The platform number is shown alongside the track.
Platform 0 is the newest platform, which opened in 2010 and also the longest at 305 metres.
Many of the trains using the station are Hitachi Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains, which have cars of the following lengths.
- Driving car – 25.85 metres
- Intermediate car – 26 metres
These lengths mean that individual trains have the following lengths.
- Five-car – 129.7 metres
- Nine-car – 233.7 metres
- Ten-car – Pair of five-cars – 259.4 metres
Note.
- It would appear that nine- and ten-car trains can use all platforms 0-8 in the main station.
- Platform 5 may be short at 270 metres, but Real Time Trains shows it can handle nine- and ten-car trains.
Real Time Trains doesn’t seem to show any nine- and ten-car trains using Platforms 9 and 10. Is the approach just a bit tight?
These are some further thoughts.
LNER’s New Class 897 Trains
I asked Google how long will be LNER’s new ten-car Class 897 trains. This is the answer I received.
The Class 897 train will be 218.7 meters (717 ft 6 in) long, according to Wikipedia. These trains will be ten-car units.
Have these trains been designed, so they can fit in Platforms 9 and 10 at King’s Cross and other shorter platforms, that LNER serve?
Other train classes, that could use Platforms 9 and 10 at King’s Cross include.
- Five-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 129.7 metres
- Five-car Class 180 trains – 116.52 metres
- Five-car Class 222 trains – 116.16 metres
- Six-car Class 717 trains – 121.7 metres
- Eight-car Class 379/387 trains – 163.12 metres
- Eight-car Class 700/0 trains – 162 metres
- Twelve-car Class 700/1 trains – 242.6 metres
Real Time Trains or my eyes have observed all these trains, except for the twelve-car Class 700 trains in Platforms 9 and 10 at King’s Cross.
It does appear that the shorter ten-car Class 897 trains improve utilisation of the platforms at King’s Cross station.
Could Twelve-Car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 Trains Run Into King’s Cross?
Consider.
- LNER and Lumo have both said, they want to win passengers from the airlines on Anglo-Scottish routes.
- Extra paths on the East Coast Main Line are at a premium and hard to come by.
In Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?, I found this extract in a Hitachi document on their web site.
To simplify the rearrangement and management of train configurations, functions are provided for identifying the train (Class 800/801), for automatically determining the cars in the trainset and its total length, and for coupling and uncoupling up to 12 cars in
normal and 24 cars in rescue or emergency mode.
So if say LNER or Lumo wanted a twelve-car train, it would be possible. It also looks like one twelve-car train can rescue another.
Train lengths would be as follows.
- Five-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 129.7 metres
- Six-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 155.7 metres
- Nine-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 233.7 metres
- Twelve-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 311.7 metres
- Twelve-car – Pair of six-car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains – 311.4 metres
As Platform 0 is 305 metres and Platform 1 is 304 metres, I suspect that King’s Cross station could accept twelve-car formations of Hitachi Class 800, 801, 802 or 803 trains, with fairly minor modifications.
But what about other stations?
Berwick-on-Tweed
Both platforms are around 233/234 metres, so twelve-car trains couldn’t call, unless the platforms were lengthened.
Bradford Forster Square
From the pictures, that I took in Bradford Forster Square Station – 20th May 2025, of a pair of LNER five-car trains, I suspect that the new Platform 0 and the extended Platform 1 will accept twelve-car trains, or could easily be modified.
Darlington
Both platforms, where LNER call are over 350 metres long, so Darlington can handle twelve-car trains.
Doncaster
Doncaster has four long platforms and I am fairly sure, the station could be easily modified to handle twelve-car trains.
Durham
Both platforms are over 260 metres, so twelve-car trains couldn’t call, unless the platforms were substantially lengthened.
Edinburgh Waverley
Platform 5 and 6 at Edinburgh Waverley station were both lengthened to 275 metres to accept ten-car LNER trains in 2016. I suspect more lengthening will be needed.
Leeds
Platforms 8 and 11 at Leeds station are both over 320 metres, so should be long enough to accept twelve car LNER trains.
Newark Northgate
Platforms 1 and 2 at Newark Northgate station are only 133 metres. Some platform lengthening would be needed for twelve-car trains to be able to call.
Newcastle
Platforms 2, 3 and 4 at Newcastle station are 362, 304 and 268 metres respectively. I believe with small improvements, that the station could be easily modified to handle twelve-car trains.
Northallerton
Both platforms are around 261/270 metres, so twelve-car trains couldn’t call, unless the platforms were lengthened.
Peterborough
Platforms 3, 4 and 5 at Peterborough station are only 265 metres. Some platform lengthening would be needed for twelve-car trains to be able to stop.
Wakefield Westgate
Both platforms at Wakefield Westgate station are only 255 metres. Some platform lengthening would be needed for twelve-car trains to be able to stop.
York
Four platforms at York station are over 315 metres.
Could A Twelve-Car Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 Trains Run Between King’s Cross And Edinburgh?
This would surely be the ultimate competition for the airlines.
Consider.
- It would use a single twelve-car Hitachi train or a pair of six-car trains.
- It could be fitted with batteries, so it could use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line diversion, through Lincoln, when there is engineering works or overhead wiring troubles.
- It would use either Platform 0 or Platform 1 at King’s Cross.
- It would use a lengthened platform at Edinburgh.
- Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington and Newcastle could be possible stops.
- I estimate an LNER layout would carry 696 Standard Class and 86 First Class passengers.
- I estimate that a Lumo layout would carry 965 Standard Class passengers.
Note that an Airbus A321neo single-aislr airliner can carry 244 passengers.
Lumo To Expand Scotland’s Rail Network With New London-Stirling Rail Route From Spring 2026
The title of this post is the same as this news item from Lumo.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Lumo has secured a new route connecting Stirling with London Euston, launching as early as Spring 2026, offering passengers five daily affordable services.
- The announcement comes as Lumo hosted a special event at Holyrood attended by MSPs and Scotland’s MPs, spotlighting Lumo’s contribution to enhancing rail connectivity for previously underserved communities in Scotland.
- The route will provide first-ever direct services to London for Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert, further boosting economic opportunities and travel options in Scotland.
This first paragraph adds some more details.
Lumo, the UK’s leading Open Access rail operator, today announced it has secured five Class 222 six-car trains for its forthcoming route between London Euston and Stirling, beginning as early as Spring 2026. This expansion aims to enhance travel choice and connectivity for passengers along the central belt of Scotland both to England and to Stirling, offering five daily services with the operator renowned for affordability and efficiency.
I have some thoughts.
What Is The Complete Route?
This is the complete route.
Lumo’s new route will link London Euston directly to Stirling, also calling at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet (serving Coatbridge), Greenfaulds (serving Cumbernauld) and Larbert.
It is fully-electrified and can support 125 mph running most, if not all, of the way.
There Are No Six-Car Class 222 Trains
Consider.
- Currently, five-car Class 222 trains seat 192 in Standard Class and 50 in First Class.
- Currently, seven-car Class 222 trains seat 236 in Standard Class and 106 in First Class.
- Lumo’s five-car Class 803 trains set 402 in Standard Class.
- Lumo’s trains have no First Class.
I estimate that a six-car Class 222 train, with all Standard Class seating would accommodate not far off the 402 seats of one of Lumo’s bog-standard Class 803 trains.
Having identical numbers of passengers on the two fleets, must surely bring operational advantages.
- A six-car Class 222 train could replace a five-car Class 803 train or vice-versa, if Lumo were short of trains.
- Class 222 trains are able to take the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line and other diversions during times of engineering works.
- The Class 222 trains would be able to run between Euston and Rochdale.
- The Class 222 trains might be useful for developing services on routes without electrification.
In the future, a six-car Class 222 train could be directly replaced in Lumo’s fleet by a five-car battery-electric Class 803 train.
The Class 222 Trains Are Diesel-Powered
All the noise and vibration could be a problem, but if I am right about the interchangeability of the two fleets, then this gives some advantages too.
- Earlier delivery of Class 222 trains, than new Class 803 trains, may enable Lumo to start services between Euston and Stirling at an earlier date.
- Earlier delivery of Class 222 trains, may allow selective withdrawal of Class 803 trains for updating.
- A mixed fleet of diesel and electric trains may be able to run more services during engineering works, by using diversion routes without electrification.
- Short route extensions to Dundee or Perth could be tried to assess demand.
There could be some good reasons to get the Class 222 trains into service sooner rather than later.
Will The Diesel Class 222 Trains Be Replaced By Battery-Electric Class 803 Trains?
Although London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion, was also about Lumo’s proposed Euston and Rochdale service, it was mainly about using battery power to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line to avoid engineering works or wiring problems.
Both train types have the following abilities.
- Ability to go between Stirling and Euston via the West Coast Main Line.
- Ability to go between Rochdale and Euston via the West Coast Main Line.
- Ability to go between Stirling and King’s Cross via the East Coast Main Line.
- Ability to go between Edinburgh and King’s Cross via the East Coast Main Line.
- Ability to handle the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line on their own power.
- Ability to handle diversions of up to around a hundred miles on their own power.
As Lumo’s new battery-electric Class 803 trains are delivered, Lumo’s two Anglo-Scottish routes and the one to Rochdale can go all-electric.
Can Lumo Trains Run As Pairs?
I’ve not seen or heard if Lumo have done this, but as I wrote in Ten-Car Hull Trains, I’ve seen Lumo’s sister company Hull Trains run ten-car trains.
As Wikipedia says that both Class 222 and Class 803 trains can run in multiple formations with other trains from the same class, I have to assume it is possible, providing the Fat Controller agrees to the practice.
Has Heidi Alexander Really Said Yes?
After the launch at Holyrood, in front of MSPs and Scottish MPs, it would now be difficult to say No!
But then there’s a by-election to the Scottish Parliament in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday.
Is Lumo’s new route an easy drive from the constituency? A Scot, who has worked in the area said Yes!
Conclusion
I like FirstGroup’s plan to create a diesel fleet to introduce new services and back up their current ones, until the new battery-electric Class 803 trains are delivered.
Arriva Group Invests In New Battery Hybrid Train Fleet In Boost To UK Rail Industry
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva Group.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Order worth around £300 million for fleet of new trains, which will increase seats by 20 per cent, improving capacity and connectivity.
- 45 rail cars to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail in the North East and financed by Angel Trains, helping secure highly skilled jobs and unlocking a new advanced manufacturing opportunity for rail.
- State-of-the-art ‘tri-mode’ train technology has proven its ability to cut emissions and fuel costs by around 30 per cent to support UK Government’s decarbonisation agenda.
- Announcement is made from Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory and attended by the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP.
These three paragraphs give more details.
Arriva Group announced today an order for nine cutting-edge battery hybrid trains to replace its entire Grand Central fleet, providing a major boost to regional economies and offering passengers more comfortable, greener travel options.
The order for 45 Hitachi Rail ‘tri-mode’ cars, which have the flexibility to run on electrified and non-electrified tracks, along with a 10-year maintenance contract, represents an investment of around £300 million. Tri-mode means the trains can be powered using electricity, battery or diesel.
It follows approval by the rail regulator for extended track access rights for Grand Central’s existing services through to 2038, with the investment underpinning Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail and to delivering sustainable public transport solutions to communities up and down the country and across Europe.
The trains will be built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe.
I have some further thoughts and questions.
What Distances Will The Trains Run Away From Electrification?
The distances that the various services will run away from electrification are as follows.
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles.
- King’s Cross and Cleethorpes – Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles.
It would appear that a train with a range away from electrification of 55 miles would be enough, if there were to be charging at all the destinations.
Will The Trains Be Able To Take The Great Northern And Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) Diversion Via Lincoln On The East Coast Main Line?
I discussed using this diversion in detail in London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion.
In that post, I said this.
The January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways says that the diversion is approximately 90 miles or 145 kilometers.
If the trains have a 90 mile capability on batteries and/or diesel, they will be able to use the diversion.
As Hull Trains, LNER and Lumo all need this ability to take the GNGE Diversion, I suspect, it will be a tick-box on the order form for the trains.
When Will The Trains Be In Service?
The news item says this.
The trains will be delivered in 2028 under a 10-year leasing arrangement, in partnership and financed by Angel Trains.
Will The New Trains Be Faster?
They might save a couple of minutes, if Doncaster is the first stop.
Will The New Trains Be Quieter?
The news item says this about noise and emissions.
State-of-the-art ‘tri-mode’ train technology has proven its ability to cut emissions and fuel costs by around 30 per cent to support UK Government’s decarbonisation agenda.
Hitachi have said that the diesel engines will not run in stations.
Could The Trains Run Grand Central’s Routes Carbon-Free?
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I came to these conclusions
- The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
- A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
- The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.
As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase.
If I was choosing the trains for Grand Central, the trains would be able to operate these routes without using diesel.
- Doncaster and Bradford Interchange and return.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes and return.
- Longlands junction and Sunderland and return.
Passengers might not like to have noisy passengers.
Probably, the best insurance policy to avoid running out of battery power, would be to have perhaps fifty metres of electrification at terminal stations. Hitachi claim they can offer a nice line in short lengths of electrification.
Quiet Trains Should Attract Passengers
I’ve seen it before and also with buses.
The Number Of Trains Ordered
The basic order is for nine trains, but Railway Gazette says this.
Arriva welcomed the ‘swift decision-making’ by ORR and the backing of the Department for Transport and Network Rail. It has also submitted applications to run more trains to Bradford and introduce services to Cleethorpes, and has an option to buy more trains if these are approved.
I’ve read somewhere that the option is for three extra trains.
So that’s a total of twelve, which would replace the ten Class 180 trains and two Class 221 trains, that Grand Central Trains currently run.
What About Chiltern Railways And CrossCountry?
Train operating companies Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and Grand Central Trains are all wholly owned subsidiaries of Arriva Trains UK, who are described like this in the first paragraph of their Wikipedia entry.
Arriva UK Trains Limited is the company that oversees Arriva’s train operating companies in the United Kingdom. It gained its first franchises in February 2000. These were later lost, though several others were gained. In January 2010, with the take-over of Arriva by Deutsche Bahn, Arriva UK Trains also took over the running of those formerly overseen by DB Regio UK Limited
Arriva is ultimately owned by American infrastructure investment company; I Squared Capital.
Both Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry have trains, that are coming to the date, when they will need to be replaced and similar trains to those ordered by Grand Central could be suitable. to replace some.
Chiltern Railways have six rakes of Mark 3 coaches, that are hauled by diesel locomotives between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations, These rakes of coaches could be replaced by Hitachi tri-mode trains, of perhaps five or six cars.
Chiltern Railways also have about sixty assorted diesel multiple units totalling up to about 150 carriages.
CrossCountry Trains have twenty-nine two- or three-car Class 170 trains and sixty-one four- or five car Class 220 or 221 trains. All these ninety trains were built this century and are diesel-powered.
The Government’s policy of net-zero by 2050, would probably mean a significant number of these smaller diesel multiple units need to be replaced by 2030.
If the Grand Central Trains new Hitachi trains are a success, then changing the longer four-, five- and six-car trains for similar Hitachi trains, would be a low-risk replacement strategy for I Squared Capital, that could be applied at Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry.
I can also see a need for a two-, three- or four-car tri-mode train for Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry.
Was The Date Of The Announcement Significant?
In October 2020, I wrote Hitachi Targets Export Opportunities From Newton Aycliffe and I believe that tri-mode trains like these that Grand Central have ordered could have export opportunities.
One country for exports has possibilities and that is the United States.
- Hitachi AT-300 trains like these don’t need expensive high-speed tracks and there are probably many lines in the United States, where these trains could fit existing tracks.
- This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Hitachi Rail in the USA and Canada.
- In the UK, companies like GWR, LNER, Southeastern and TransPennine Express effectively use theHitachi trains as fast commuter trains on some routes.
- Trump’s tariffs would only be 10 % on these trains.
- The Grand Central version looks very stylish!
- Hitachi’s battery technology is owned by Turntide Technology, who are a US company.
- For some routes, the trains would probably only need to be battery-electric.
Has the experience of running Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and Grand Central Trains convinced I Squared Capital, that running railways is a good investment?
Have I Squared Capital identified some railroads in the United States, that could follow a similar upgrade path to Chiltern Railways?
Was it significant that the order was announced the day after Trump’s tariffs?
.
Grand Central To Submit Application For Direct Services Between Lincolnshire And London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Grand Central.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central has today launched an application process for direct services between Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, Scunthorpe and London – plans to bring significant benefits to underserved areas.
- The application will be welcomed by communities, businesses, and organisations, who have been actively campaigning for the introduction of direct rail links to London.
- If approved, the new services could unlock £30.1 million annually for the region.
These three paragraphs add more details.
Grand Central has today notified Network Rail of its plans to operate new direct services between Lincolnshire and London that, if approved by the rail regulator (the ORR), will bring significant benefits to underserved areas across Lincolnshire and the wider region.
Under the proposals, direct services to London will be provided from Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe, with Grand Central planning to operate the services from as early as December 2026.
The plan makes best use of capacity on the rail network by running trains from the proposed new stops before connecting into existing Grand Central services at Doncaster.
The service seems very similar to the proposed King’s Cross and Cleethorpes service described in the this section of the Grand Central Wikipedia entry, where this is said.
In December 2017, Grand Central announced plans to bid for a service from London King’s Cross to Cleethorpes in early 2018 for a date in 2020. It would involve the existing Bradford Interchange service extended to ten coaches from London to Doncaster then dividing with five coaches going to Cleethorpes via Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby. The other five coaches would be the existing service to Bradford Interchange. This proposal would require permission for a split of trains as it has not been used on the East Coast Main Line before. In February 2018, Grand Central announced plans for an additional call at Crow The company planned to operate four trains per day from 2020. However, in July 2018, the Office of Rail and Road announced new access charges which would affect the business case for the new service, leading to Grand Central announcing that it would delay bidding until 2019.
Note.
- It appears that the service is not calling at Crow.
- By splitting and joining at Doncaster, Grand Central will be getting more coaches and passengers, up and down a single path between King’s Cross and Doncaster stations.
- Grand Central run four trains per day (tpd) between King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange, so as four tpd will be running between King’s Cross and Doncaster stations, it appears Grand Central will be running a full service.
It appears that open access applications come to those who wait eight years.
I have some further thoughts.
What Class Of Trains Do Grand Central Currently Use?
According to Real Time Trains on Friday the 21st of March 2025, two Class 180 trains and two Class 221 trains each ran a service between King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange stations.
Both type of train appear to be able to run as a pair of trains.
As Bradford is the UK City of Culture in 2025, that could prove useful.
What Trains Will Grand Central Use For The New Service?
It would appear that either type of train type could run the service,
So it would probably come down to factors like reliability, comfort and what is available.
I Was Mildly Surprised When I Saw This Application Had Gone In
But, circumstances change.
- Grand Central now run two Class 221 trains, in addition to the Class 180 trains.
- There are more Class 221 trains in store, if needed.
- The UK has had several changes of government since the original application in 2017 and track-access charges may have been reduced.
- Cleethorpes station has been refurbished.
Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023 shows the station in 2023.
But a new problem has arisen. The new Transport Secretary doesn’t seem keen on open access services, from some of the things she’s said.
Perhaps, she has had a change of heart or as she looks to be a good doer, someone has bought her a decent meal of fish and chips in Cleethorpes? My meal in the town is described in Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes.
But would Grand Central put in an application, if they knew they were wasting their money?
Or could this be an application funded by all the open access operators to get a definitive view on the government’s policy?
Could The Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains?
Consider.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes are 52.1 miles apart.
- Surprisingly Doncaster and Bradford Interchange are 52.1 miles apart.
- King’s Cross and Doncaster are 155.9 miles apart and fully-electrified.
- A battery that had enough capacity to do the return trips from Doncaster to either Cleethorpes or Bradford Interchange, would be easily recharged on the way to and from London.
With careful calculation of the battery size and good capacity management, I also suspect a battery-electric train could be able to take the GNGE Diversion via Lincoln.
Could The Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Hydrogen-Electric Trains?
Consider the daily services will be made up of these runs.
- Eight runs between London and Bradford Interchange each consisting of 155.9 miles on wires and 52.1 miles on hydrogen.
- Eight runs between London and Cleethorpes each consisting of 155.9 miles on wires and 52.1 miles on hydrogen.
Which means there are 833.6 miles per day run on hydrogen.
If there are four trains running the service as now, that is 208.4 miles per train per day on hydrogen.
A hydrogen-powered train with this daily range is very much a possibility.
The German Dimension To Grand Central Trains
Consider.
- Grand Central are owned by Arriva.
- Arriva are owned by Deutche Bahn.
- Siemens have a train factory at Goole close to Doncaster.
- Siemens have built quite a few electric multiple units for various UK railways.
- Siemens have designs for battery-electric and hydrogen-electric multiple units, that would be suitable for Grand Central Trains.
- Jürgen Maier was senior in Siemens UK, when the train factory at Goole was built and is now chair of Great British Energy.
I believe that Siemens at Goole could build trains, that would do nicely for Grand Central Trains.
- It would surely be handy for Grand Central Trains to have their fleet stabled in easy reach of the factory.
- In addition, hydrogen will soon be readily-available in the Doncaster area.
Grand Central trains could do a lot worse than buy trains built or assembled at Siemen’s factory at Goole.
Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
- Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
- Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.
These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.
Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.
Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.
The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.
These are my observations and thoughts.
Grand Central’s Current Services
Grand Central currently runs two separate services.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- Weekend services are reduced.
- Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.
Grand Central have applied to run more services.
Distances Without Electrification On Current Services
Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles
Note.
- Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
- Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
- Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.
The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.
These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.
And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.
Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.
Grand Central’s New Trains
Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.
- Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
- Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
- Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.
Note.
- A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
- Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
- Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
- LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?
I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.
Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.
Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services
Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.
Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.
They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.
Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?
- Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
- An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
- London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
- The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
- They might save a few minutes.
But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.
This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.
- Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
- One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
- Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
- As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.
I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services
If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.
They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.
Conclusion
It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.
London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion
This press release on the First Group web site is entitled FirstGroup Applies To Run Rochdale To London Rail Service With New British-Built Trains.
These are the first two paragraphs.
FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Rochdale and London to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), restoring this direct link for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its successful Lumo business, building on Lumo’s existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between London and Edinburgh and helped support a growth in passenger numbers for all operators on the East Coast Mainline. All of the trains on this new route will be electric and battery powered, and the service will be operated by brand new trains built in the UK.
Note.
- This service will be run under the Lumo brand.
- Battery-electric trains will be used.
- Stops will include Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay.
- Only 15 km. of the route, between Miles Platting and Rochdale is not electrified.
Allowing for out and back trips between Platting and Rochdale, a sensible reserve and I suspect a battery-electric train with a range of 40-50 kilometres, would allow the train to be able to do a round trip to Rochdale from London Euston.
Hitachi have now published this page on their web site, which is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
These are the first two paragraphs.
A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. 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.
Replacing one diesel engine with 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.
It would appear that Hitachi’s standard Intercity Battery Train will have a range of 70 km.
- A 70 km. range would be more than enough to handle Lumo’s Euston and Rochdale service.
- Lumo’s Class 803 trains don’t have a diesel generator to replace.
- One car does have a smaller battery for emergency hotel power, should the electrification fail.
As an Electrical Engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the traction batteries of Hitachi’s standard Intercity Battery Train and the emergency batteries of Lumo’s Class 803 trains are of a similar design. The batteries could even be interchangeable, which would enable both Lumo’s routes to Scotland and Rochdale to use identical Class 803 trains.
Lumo’s Class 803 trains would have this specification.
- All-electric.
- Emergency battery to provide back-up hotel power.
- A range on battery of 70 km or 43 miles away from electrification.
The off-electrification range could be very useful in getting round incidents or overhead wiring problems.
An extended range of 70 km. would allow the following destinations to have all-electric services from London.
- Beverley #
- Bristol Temple Meads #
- Cheltenham #
- Chester
- Harrogate
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Lincoln
- Middlesbrough
- Swansea #
Destinations marked with a hash (#), would need charging at the final destination.
A more detailed analysis will probably show other possible routes.
It looks to me, that Hitachi have got the specification of their Intercity Battery Train about right.
Bridging The Joint Line Diversion
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) or Joint Line.
Note.
- Doncaster is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Peterborough is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The red line connecting them is the East Coast Main Line.
- Lincoln station is marked by the blue arrow.
Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) is described like this by its Wikipedia entry.
The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway, colloquially referred to as “the Joint Line” was a railway line connecting Doncaster and Lincoln with March and Huntingdon in the eastern counties of England. It was owned jointly by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and the Great Eastern Railway (GER).
Over the last decades of the Twentieth Century, the Joint Line declined and British Rail did their worst to simplify the route.
But in the 2010s, Network Rail developed the route into a by-pass for the East Coast Main Line between Werrington and Black Carr junctions via Lincoln.
- Trains are routed via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Saxilby and Gainsborough.
- There is no electrification.
- The route can handle two freight trains per hour.
- The route can handle 9 ft. 6 in containers.
- There is a passenger service between Doncaster and Peterborough via Lincoln.
- Self-powered trains like InterCity125s, Class 800 trains and Class 802 trains can use their diesel power to use the diversion.
- All-electric trains, like LNER’s Class 801 trains and Lumo’s Class 803 trains have no self-power, so can’t use the diversion.
- Black Carr junction and Lincoln is 35 miles.
- Werrington junction and Lincoln is 51.7 miles.
The January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways says that the diversion is approximately 90 miles or 145 kilometers.
It would appear that there are two simple solutions.
- Electrify a section through Lincoln, so that Lincoln is within 70 kilometres of the electrification at both Werrington and Black Carr junctions.
- Fit bigger batteries to the trains.
A combination of both solutions might be possible.
New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the January 2024 edition of Modern Railways.
This is the text of the article.
LNER’s new fleet of CAF tri-mode trains, for which an order was confirmed in November, has been specified with the capability to operate via the Joint Line via Spalding and Lincoln in case of closures on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.
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.
LNER frequently uses the Joint Line as a diversionary route, both during planned engineering work and at times of disruption, but only its bi-mode Azumas are currently able to traverse it under their own power (electric sets have been hauled by a diesel locomotive, but this is now a very rare occurrence). The new CAF fleet will replace the InterCity 225 electric fleet, and the self-power capability will provide valuable resilience to LNER to divert via non-electrified routes.
While the ‘225s’ are currently confined to services between King’s Cross and Leeds/York, if the enhanced December 2024 timetable goes ahead as currently planned (see story above) they will operate north of York once again on some of the hourly services which will terminate at Newcastle. However, LNER is having to limit the use of the sets before the Class 91 locomotives and Mk 4 coaches come due for major overhauls: the decision to retain 12 locos and eight rakes of coaches was based on the intended timescale for replacing the fleet at the time, but confirming the order for the new CAF tri-modes has taken longer than anticipated, largely due to delays in receiving Government approval to place the order.
This article has got me thinking.
The InterCity225 Trains Need Replacing Urgently
The Modern Railways article states that the need to replace the InterCity 225s is getting urgent, as more than the Azumas will be needed for the December 2024 timetable and the InterCity 225s are getting to the end of their economic life.
As LNER have been doing reasonably well lately, a cock-up caused by lack of trains at Christmas 2024 would be the last thing they need.
Currently, LNER have enough Mark 4 coaches for eight trains, so ordering ten new CAF tri-mode trains will allow for a small amount of extra services.
The CAF tri-mode trains were only ordered in November 2023, so getting them delivered for December 2024 would be tight.
As I write this on the 31st December 2023, trains from King’s Cross to Leeds included.
- 5 x InterCity225
- 5 x 10-car Azuma
- 7 x 9-car Azuma
- 2 x 5-car Azuma
So there were InterCity 225s running on that day.
A Few Distances Around Lincolnshire
I believe that because of offshore wind, interconnectors and other renewable energy developments, that Lincolnshire will become an energy powerhouse, supporting the East Midlands and also exporting electricity and hydrogen to Europe through pipelines and interconnectors.
Because of this and other developments, I believe that rail passenger traffic to and around the county will increase significantly.
These are a few selected distances.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles
- Grantham and Skegness – 58.2 miles
- Lincoln and Doncaster – 36.8 miles
- Lincoln and Newark – 16.8 miles
- Lincoln and Peterborough – 54.8 miles
- Lincoln and Cleethorpes – 47.2 miles
Note.
- This means that the length of the Joint Line, which between Werrington Junction and where it rejoins the East Coast Main Line to the South of Doncaster is no more than ninety miles. This ninety mile distance was assumed in the Modern Railways article.
- Peterborough and Cleethorpes via Lincoln is ninety-two miles.
- I estimate that around four miles could be easily electrified at Werrington, which would reduce these two distances by four miles.
- Newark and Cleethorpes via Lincoln is sixty-four miles.
It looks like if a battery-electric train had a range of 92 miles and there was charging at Cleethorpes and Skegness, Lincolnshire could have a first class zero-carbon rail service.
CAF Tri-Mode Trains And The Joint Line
This is the first sentence in the Modern Railways article.
LNER’s new fleet of CAF tri-mode trains, for which an order was confirmed in November, has been specified with the capability to operate via the Joint Line via Spalding and Lincoln in case of closures on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.
Note.
- The Modern Railways article states the Joint Line is approximately 90 miles.
- As I stated earlier with some strategically placed electrification at Werrington and South of Doncaster, this distance without electrification can probably be shortened by a few miles.
It looks like any service run by a CAF tri-mode train will be able to use the Joint Line.
Hitachi Class 801 Trains And The Joint Line
Unless the Joint Line is electrified or the all-electric Class 801 trains are fitted with batteries of a sufficient size the Class 801 trains will not be able to use the Joint Line.
Hitachi Class 800/802 Trains And The Joint Line
If currently, the Class 800/802 trains can handle the Joint Line on their diesel engines, they can continue to do this.
Hitachi Class 803 Trains And The Joint Line
Unless the Joint Line is electrified or Class 803 trains are fitted with batteries of a sufficient size the Class 803 trains will not be able to use the Joint Line.
Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries And The Joint Line
Note that Lumo’s Class 803 trains are already fitted with an emergency battery for hotel power. So Hitachi must have information on how their batteries perform in service.
This press release from Hitachi, which is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20% announced the start of Hitachi’s battery-electric program in December 2020.
This is a paragraph.
The projected improvements in battery technology – particularly in power output and charge – create opportunities to replace incrementally more diesel engines on long distance trains. With the ambition to create a fully electric-battery intercity train – that can travel the full journey between London and Penzance – by the late 2040s, in line with the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target.
Hitachi have now published this page on their web site, which is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
The page has this sub-heading.
Accelerate the decarbonisation of intercity rail with batteries
These are the first two paragraphs.
A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. 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.
Replacing one diesel engine with 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.
It appears to be a masterful application of an old electrical or software engineer’s trick.
In the 1960s, I spent time in two summer holidays building transistorised control systems in a rolling mills to replace obsolete control systems that used thermionic valves and relays.
Are Hitachi just replacing a diesel power pack with a battery pack, that has the same power and control functionality?
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I looked at Hitachi’s published data sheet, which has 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 and performance will be unchanged. I suspect this means that current timetables can be achieved.
- 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.
This paragraph, that I quoted earlier gives details on battery range.
Replacing one diesel engine with 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.
If one battery can give seventy kilometres or 43.5 miles, what distances would be possible in the various Hitachi Class 80x trains on the UK rail network?
- Five-car Class 800 – Three diesel engines
- Nine-car Class 800 – Five diesel engines
- Five-car Class 801 – One diesel engine
- Nine-car Class 801 – One diesel engine
- Five-car Class 802 – Three diesel engines
- Nine-car Class 802 – Five diesel engines
- Five-car Class 803 – One battery
- Five-car Class 805 – Three diesel engines
- Seven-car Class 807 – No diesel engine or battery
- Five-car Class 810 – Four diesel engines
Note.
- The Class 801 trains have one diesel engine for emergency use.
- The Class 803 trains have one battery for emergency use.
- The Class 807 trains appear to be built for top speed and acceleration and have no unnecessary weight.
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I came to the conclusion, that if all diesel engine packs are be replaced by batteries, the train has a range of around 117-121 miles.
If my calculation is correct, I believe that Hitachi battery-electric trains will be capable of using the Joint Line, if all diesel engines are replaced by battery packs.
Surely, if a number of Hitachi trains could use the Joint Line in addition to the ten CAF tri-mode trains, this would minimise disruption to passengers and increase revenue on days, when the East Coast Main Line was closed for engineering works or an incident.
Will The Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries Or The CAF Tri-Mode Trains Have The Longer Range Without Electrification?
Consider.
- Cleethorpes could be the problem, as it is 64 miles from Newark and 92 miles from Peterborough and a round trip without charging at Cleethorpes for a battery-electric might be a trip to far.
- But a tri-mode train like that from CAF with an on-board diesel, should have the range.
- More range for a tri-mode train, just needs bigger fuel tanks.
- I also suspect Cleethorpes has the equipment to refuel a diesel train, as all services to the station are diesel powered.
The article also says this.
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.
Could it be that some of LNER’s routes like Aberdeen, Cleethorpes and Inverness have longer running without electrification, than Hitachi’s trains with batteries can achieve. Perhaps, this is why they lost the order?
Pairs Of Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries And The Joint Line
I suspect if one five-car train with batteries can handle the Joint Line, then a pair could also handle it, if the train’s control system allowed it.
Will The Joint Line Be Slower Than The East Coast Main Line?
Consider.
- The Joint Line is not the slowest line in the country and large sections of the route, have a top speed of 60 mph or higher.
- It is surprisingly straight.
- There are some slower sections, through Lincoln and Sleaford.
- The average speed between Peterborough and Lincoln of local trains is about 50 mph.
- The average speed between Doncaster and Lincoln of local trains is about 48 mph.
I suspect that the expresses, should be able to achieve 60 mph between Peterborough and Doncaster, with a small amount of track improvement.
This would mean the following times between Doncaster and Peterborough.
- Via the Joint Line – 90 minutes
- Via East Coast Main Line – 50 minutes
It looks like forty minutes will be added to journey times.
Would There Be Any Point In Running Some Services Via The Joint Line?
Consider.
- Lincoln has one train per two hours (tp2h) to and from King’s Cross.
- A King’s Cross and Doncaster service could use the Joint Line and call at Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln Central, Gainsborough Lea Road and Doncaster.
- If it terminated at Harrogate, Leeds or York, it could ease congestion on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.
- Lincoln is making a name for itself as a University town.
- Lincolnshire is getting more important with respect to renewable energy and innovative food production.
- The frequency would be at least one tp2h.
- If needed, Lincoln Central could be electrified to charge passing trains.
- The service could also go via Cambridge to provide East Anglia and its technological powerhouse with better connections to and from the North.
It would all depend on where extra rail services are needed.
Could Cleethorpes And Grimsby Town Have A Service From King’s Cross?
In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I discuss how in June 2023, LNER ran a test train to Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town.
- With all the energy development going on in North-East Lincolnshire, I suspect that a service between King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town could be viable.
- I suspect that the energy developments could find recruitment difficult and say a one tp2h service to Peterborough might ease the problem.
- Whether it ran to Lincoln via Newark and the East Coast Main Line or via Spalding and Sleaford would be down to predicted traffic.
- The distance via Newark would be 64 miles or 128 miles return.
- The distance via Peterborough would be 92 miles or 184 miles return.
- These distances would probably mean that a battery-electric train would need charging at Cleethorpes.
So would it be better if the Cleethorpes trains were to be run by CAF tri-mode trains.
Could Cleethorpes Services Be Paired With The York Service?
The current King’s Cross and Lincoln service uses the same path as a York service.
- Both services leave King’s Cross at six minutes past the hour.
- York trains leave at odd hours.
- Lincoln trains leave at even hours.
If the York service used the Joint Line and the Lincoln service were to be extended to Cleethorpes, Lincoln would receive an hourly service.
- One service could go via Newark and the other via Peterborough, Spalding and Sleaford.
- A path on the East Coast Main Line would be saved.
- The service to York could go via Leeds.
- The York service could be extended to Middlesbrough, Scarborough or Sunderland.
- I suspect that timings to Cleethorpes and York could be a similar six-hour round trip.
- CAF tri-mode trains would be needed for the Cleethorpes services.
- Either train type could work the York services.
There are various possibilities to improve the train service been London and Lincolnshire.
What Will Be The Maximum Range Of The CAF Tri-Mode Trains?
When determining this, LNER would probably have taken into account all current and every possible service, that they might run in the future, which was not fully electrified.
These would include.
- London King’s Cross and Aberdeen – 91.4 miles
- London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Shaftholme junction – 47.8 miles
- London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln – 64 miles
- London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln – 92 miles
- London King’s Cross and Harrogate via Leeds – 18.3 miles
- London King’s Cross and Inverness– 151.1 miles
- London King’s Cross and Hull via Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles
- London King’s Cross and Lincoln – 16.8 miles
- London King’s Cross and Middlesbrough via Northallerton – 20.3 miles
- London King’s Cross and Scarborough via York – 42.1 miles
- London King’s Cross and Sunderland via Northallerton – 47.4 miles
They would also have taken in possible diversion routes.
- London King’s Cross and Carlisle via Leeds – 86.8 miles
- London and Edinburgh – 400 miles
- London King’s Cross and Newcastle via Northallerton and Durham Coast Line – 59.6 miles
Note.
- The distance is the length without electrification.
- London King’s Cross and Carlisle is a possible diversion route, if between Leeds and Edinburgh is blocked.
- A London King’s Cross and Edinburgh capability might be needed, if there was something like a serious weather problem, bringing down the overhead wires.
- London King’s Cross and Newcastle via Northallerton and Durham Coast Line is a possible diversion route, if between Northallerton and Newcastle is blocked.
LNER’s longest route without electrification is to Inverness and it is 151.1 miles between Stirling and Inverness.
London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln could be longer, if it were to be run as a return trip of 184 miles.
LNER will probably have specified the range they need on the longest route they run or might run in the future, as there is no point in buying a fleet of trains and then finding that they can’t handle all your routes. They would also include all possible emergency routes, just as they’ve already included the Joint Line.
Out of curiosity I asked Professor Google how far a diesel train could run on a full tank of diesel and got this answer.
According to the traction manual for 158/159 stock each coach has a 400 gallon tank or 1818 Ltr. £2500 at the filling station.
The manual also says that that is enough fuel to travel Waterloo to Exeter and back twice over. Which is 688 miles exactly. Guess there is spare in there for shunting and idling at terminus. Still an mpg of 1.7.
It looks to me, that if a humble Class 158/159 train has a range of nearly 700 miles, then LNER can probably have virtually any distance they want for their new trains.
These journeys will probably all be possible.
- Between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh – 400 miles
- A round trip between Stirling and Inverness – 302.2 miles
- A round trip between Peterborough and Cleethorpes – 184 miles
Professor Google also gives the diesel range of a Class 800 train as 650 miles.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that LNER, Lumo and FirstGroup have a serious plan to decarbonise their network.
All services, that can be decarbonised by replacing diesel generator units, with electrical battery packs.
LNER’s longer routes will use the new CAF trains.
These will be fully decarbonised at a later date.
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.
Extra Luggage Racks For Lumo
The title of this post, is the same as a small article in the November 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.
Thiese are the first two paragraphs.
Lumo is to remove eight seats from each of its five Class 803 EMUs to make way for additional luggage racks.
Two seats will be removed from four of the five vehicles in each unit to make space for the luggage racks. The move has required a variation of Lumo’s track access agreement, with the Office of Road and Rail, which as originally approved specified that each train must have 400 seats.
The article also states that Lumo has stopped carrying bikes and the bike areas are now used for luggage.
Batteries For Lumo?
The article finishes with this paragraph.
Lumo celebrated its second birthday in late October and was also set to mark the carriage of its two-millionth passenger. It is understood Lumo is interested in augmenting its fleet, such has been the success of the service; while many operators favour bi-mode units, Lumo is proud of its all-electric credentials so straight EMUs are still preferred, although the possibilities of including batteries which could power the trains may be pursued (the ‘803s’ have on-board batteries, but only to provide power to on-board systems if the electricity supply fails).
I find this development very interesting.
As an electrical engineer, I’ve always believed that the emergency batteries in the Class 803 trains are very similar to the traction batteries that Hitachi are developing for the Class 802 trains.
- One design of battery must surely save time and costs in design and testing.
- The difference between the two batteries might be only software and the total capacity of the lithium-ion cells.
- In service testing under real operating conditions can be carried out in Lumo’s Class 803 trains.
- Traction and emergency batteries would be interchangeable, so some operators, who didn’t always need traction but wanted emergency on-board power could be setup as required for the route.
If traction batteries gave the train a range of perhaps 15-20 miles, this might well be enough range, for the train to get through or to the next station, if there was to be an incident like catenary failure or a derailed freight train blocking the line. Obviously, Lumo will have records of all external failures that have affected them.
Consider.
- I have calculated that Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln is 88.5 miles.
- I also believe it is likely that in the future, there may be some electrification at Lincoln to charge battery-electric trains.
- Lincolnshire is flat.
Would it be possible for Lumo trains to use a single traction battery to take the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line to get round engineering works on the East Coast Main Line?
What Length Of Trains Could Lumo Run?
In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I talked about Hull Trains running ten-car trains to Hull.
I would expect that all Lumo’s stops are possible with ten-car trains.
As the trains are all Plug-and-Play, Lumo could either run pairs of trains or perhaps lengthen all trains to any size between six and nine cars.
Could Lumo Piggy-Back An Aberdeen Service On An Edinburgh Train?
The line between Edinburgh and Ladybank is being electrified and Ladybank is just 91.4 miles South of Aberdeen.
- A pair of Class 803 trains could leave King’s Cross running as a ten-car formation.
- The leading train would be a Class 803 train equipped with a traction battery.
- The trailing train would be a Class 803 train equipped with the normal emergency battery.
- Aberdeen passengers would get in the leading train.
- The train would run as normal to Edinburgh.
- At Edinburgh the two trains would split with the leading train going on to Aberdeen and the trailing train getting ready to return to London.
The train going to Aberdeen would need sufficient battery range to cover the 91.4 miles to Aberdeen, where it would recharge to make the journey back to Ladybank, Edinburgh and the South.
What About Inverness?
Dunblane is the nearest electrified station to Inverness, but it is 146.2 miles away over a route with lots of steep climbs.
I doubt that a battery-electric train could handle that route.
Conclusions
Luggage seems to be getting more of a problem on trains and buses.
It does appear that a very innovative battery philosophy from Hitachi is emerging.
The Anonymous Widower 