The Anonymous Widower

North-East-Based Turntide Receives Initial Battery Production Order From Hitachi Rail For Arriva’s Grand Central Intercity UK Battery Trains

The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Turntide Technologies.

This is the sub-heading.

New batteries to enable greener train operations to remove over 600 engines on existing trains, offering lower cost of operations, more range, and path to zero-emissions travel.

These are the initial three paragraphs, that add more detail.

Turntide Technologies (Turntide), a global leader in electrification and hybridisation solutions and a long-standing North East manufacturer, received its first order from Hitachi Rail to begin production of its next-generation modular battery system for the first U.K.-manufactured battery trains for Arriva’s Grand Central.

First announced on July 2, 2025, this partnership involved an R&D component and has officially moved into production with the potential to support either new battery trains or retrofitting over 600 engines on existing Hitachi Rail U.K. fleets.

This new battery system will allow for lower cost of operations, extended range, and a path to zero-emission travel, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving air quality and noise pollution. Turntide’s bespoke batteries are designed to deliver even greater power density in the same footprint of a diesel engine. This battery production is an advanced manufacturing milestone for Arriva’s Grand Central new fleet, which is being built in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham by Hitachi Rail.

In Are Hitachi’s Tri-Mode Trains Exceeding Expectations?, I said this.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.

Yes, Hitachi’s tri-mode (battery-hybrid) trains are exceeding expectations, particularly following successful trials in the UK in late 2024. Trials of the battery-equipped Class 802/2 demonstrated superior performance to initial forecasts, leading to a £300 million order for a new fleet to be delivered in 2028.

Key findings from trials and operational expectations:

Performance Exceeded: The trial, conducted with TransPennine Express and Angel Trains, showed fuel cost savings of 35%–50%, surpassing initial predictions of up to 30%.

Operational Capability: The battery technology enabled trains to reach speeds greater than 75 mph and provided enough range for zero-emission, silent running in and out of stations, significantly reducing noise and improving air quality.

Energy Efficiency: The battery matched the weight of a diesel engine, meaning no extra track degradation.

Future Impact: The success of the trial led to an order from Arriva Group for a new fleet for Grand Central services, which will increase seating capacity by 20% and are expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

These trains, designed to run on electric, battery, or diesel power, are part of a push to modernize rail services, with the technology allowing for the gradual elimination of diesel-only operation on certain routes.

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.

Hitachi have seen my figures and told me they’re not far out.

As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase

What Battery Range Do Arriva Grand Central Trains Need?

Arriva Grand Central Trains currently run services to Bradford Interchange and Sunderland and hope of adding services to Cleethorpes.

All services would go between Doncaster and Kings Cross, with some stopping additionally at Peterborough.

The lengths of unelectrified track on each route is as follows.

  • Bradford Interchange – Shaftholme junction and Bradford Interchange is  not electrified – 47.8 miles
  • Cleethorpes – Doncaster and Cleethorpes is not electrified – 52.1 miles
  • Sunderland – Northallerton and Sunderland is not electrified – 47.4 miles

Note.

  1. Bradford Interchange station is on a tightly hemmed-in site and putting charging infrastructure in the station might be difficult.
  2. All Bradford Interchange services will soon be passing electrification at Mirfield station, so there may be scope for a quick charge and continue.
  3. Cleethorpes station is an open-air station with four platforms.
  4. I believe it is likely, that Cleethorpes station will also be a destination station for other battery-electric trains from LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine, so I would suspect that charging facilities will be installed.
  5. Cleethorpes station could be an ideal location for one of Siemens’ Rail Charging Converters.
  6. Sunderland station is underground and has a unique layout where both platforms are electrified for the Metro. It is all explained in the Wikipedia entry for the station.
  7. The Wikipedia entry shows an open-air siding without electrification. One possibility would be for the Class 820 trains to park there and use their on-board diesel to top-up the batteries, so they could reach Northallerton.
  8. It appears that Grand Central visit Ryhope Grange Sidings between arriving and leaving for King’s Cross. The trains could have their batteries topped up there if needed.

It does look like a five-car train with a battery range of at least 105 miles would be able to handle these three routes.

The Arriva Grand Central Trains Fleet Are Now Class 820 trains

They have a Wikipedia entry.

The order was for nine trains of five cars.

  • Wikipedia describes them as tri-mode trains.
  • I believe they will have three battery packs and one diesel generator.
  • Three battery packs should give a range of 117 miles.
  • Google AI says that on one diesel generator, these trains can limp home at 60 miles per hour.
  • Google AI says that the diesel generator will be able to charge the batteries at the destination station?
  • From comments on the Internet, it appears that Hitachi have a very clever train control system, that ekes out the available power.

It looks to me that Hitachi have designed a train that can handle an unelectrified branch line of up to 60 miles or 120 miles if there are charging facilities at the destination station.

Did LNER And TransPennine Express Not Want To Be First With Battery-Electric Intercity Trains?

Consider.

  • TransPennine and LNER are under government control.
  • TransPennine provided the train for the testing, so they must know all the results and their drivers, who were probably  involved certainly do.
  • LNER must have the best initial route in King’s Cross and Lincoln, where only the last 16.6 miles, between Newark and Lincoln is not electrified.
  • Surely, both companies should have been given at least one of the first batteries, so they could start training staff in how to use and service the batteries.

I have also totalled how many existing diesel power-packs are in existing Hitachi trains and it is 759.

This figure surprised me, as the sub-heading in the Turntide news item said the number of engines in existing trains was over 600. But then East Midlands Railway are still introducing their fleet of 33 x Class 810 trains, which have a total of 132 engines, and 627 could be described as over 600 engines.

How Much Would A Turntide Battery-Pack Cost?

Consider.

  • This is a bespoke product for Hitachi.
  • Hitachi have stated that the weight is the same as a diesel-pack, so that track-access rules and charges won’t change.
  • As a Control Engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised, that the battery-pack is designed to tell the train control system, that it is a diesel power pack. So it acts just like one!
  • In the 1960s, I was designing, building and installing transisterised control systems to replace electronic valve and relay equipment in a rolling mills. The two generations of control systems were interchangeable. Are diesel-packs and battery-packs the same?
  • Why did Hitachi choose a small supplier in Gateshead, rather than one of a number of capable companies in Japan? You don’t go halfway around the world, if the quality is available locally.
  • Deployment of these trains, will avoid the cost of scores of miles of overhead electrification.
  • A lot of routes won’t even need chargers at the remote destination, as the range will be sufficient for an out and back journey from the current electrification.
  • Fuel cost savings of 35%–50% were achieved in development testing.
  • I have ridden in three battery-electric trains. All were mouse quiet. Will that increase ridership?

I believe these batteries are no ordinary batteries. So they won’t come cheap!

I wouldn’t be surprised that the cost of each battery-pack between a half-a-million pounds and a million pounds, with support.

Will These Trains Create Growth In The Economy?

I have ridden in all current variants of the Hitachi Intercity Express Trains, with the possible exception of the Class 805 train and as each version has been introduced, they are no worse, but often better than previous versions.

I have had two or maybe three return trips to Nottingham and Sheffield in the latest variant, which is East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 train.

This is without doubt the pick of the bunch.

I therefor believe that if this continuous improvement carries on, that the new Class 820 train, that has been ordered by Grand Central will be even better.

  • My experience of battery-electric trains, says it will be quieter.
  • The environment of stations will be improved.
  • Train fuel costs will be reduced.
  • I believe that ridership will be increased, as people will be intrigued by a 125 mph train running on batteries.
  • The trains will have the ability to divert via Lincoln using the GNGE Diversion on the East Coast Main Line during engineering works.
  • Because of their regenerative braking, the trains should be able to do very quick extra stops at intermediate stations.
  • New routes will be developed.
  • Less ugly electrification will be erected on scenic routes like Settle and Carlisle, and across the Highlands of Scotland.

I believe strongly, that at the end of the day, that battery-electric trains will increase the profits of operators and Network Rail, and reduce the cost to the taxpayers of the railways.

Grand Central’s New Trains Will Improve Services

All these stations will be served by the new Class 820 trains.

  • Barnetby
  • Bradford Interchange
  • Brighouse
  • Cleethorpes
  • Doncaster
  • Eaglescliffe
  • Grimsby
  • Habrough
  • Halifax
  • Hartlepool
  • Low Moor
  • Mirfield
  • Northallerton
  • Peterborough
  • Pontefract Monkhill
  • Scunthorpe
  • Seaham
  • Sunderland
  • Thirsk
  • Wakefield Kirkgate
  • York

Passengers should notice the following from the new Grand Central trains.

  • A quieter ride.
  • Less vibration.
  • Slightly faster services due to faster stops at stations.
  • No diesel smoke and much less noise from trains in stations.

Note.

  1. Cross Country, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo, TransPennine Express and other operators will come under pressure to follow suit.
  2. Batteries, will not have the power for freight trains, so will we see a new generation of hydrogen freight locomotives?

But will the improved services bring that exclusive growth to the economy?

Only time will tell!

Private And Public Operators

In the UK, we have.

  • Private open access operators like Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo, who can buy trains on a loan from a leasing company.
  • Public operators like LNER and TransPennine Express, who probably have to get sign off from the Treasury.
  • Several companies like Great Western Railways and East Midlands Railway, who are soon to be taken over by Great British Railways, who are stuck in a sort of limbo.

My late friend ; David, who rose to the highest level in banking in the UK, would have come up with a solution.

He would probably have said, that there’s is very little difference between the groups of operators.

  • The train services they offer vary only on destinations and prices.
  • The ticketing system is now unified, so if you turn up at the last minute and want to go to Newcastle and Lumo and LNER both have tickets, you are offered a choice and you can pick the one that’s best for you.
  • All services will soon be running similar battery-electric trains, fprobably from the same Hitachi  factory in Newton Aycliffe.
  • Food and beverage service is not competitive and could be improved.
  • Staff are probably on similar employment agreements.

So why shouldn’t Great British Railways be able to lease trains and even battery packs from companies like Angel Trains, who are funding the trains for Grand Central?

It might get more battery trains running on tracks all over Great Britain sooner than it appears they will now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 17, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Environment, Manufacturing, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Next Generation: LNER Reveals Exciting New Details Of Upcoming East Coast Main Line Trains

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

This is the sub-heading.

A new generation of comfort and speed is coming for LNER customers on the East Coast Main Line with the introduction of 10 state-of-the-art intercity trains, delivering improved journey experiences.

These two paragraphs introduce the trains.

LNER has released a fleet name and the latest interior images of the trains, built by manufacturer CAF and financed by Porterbrook, to show customers what they can expect following their introduction to the UK rail network in the coming years.

The new fleet will help support and accommodate strong demand for rail travel on the East Coast Main Line. Since Covid, LNER has seen a year-on-year increase in customers, with more than 24 million customers in 2024-25. The introduction, in December 2025, of a new, transformative timetable has brought an extra 60,000 seats per week across the route, and new CAF-built trains will further grow capacity and reliability.

Note.

  1. The trains will be ten cars long.
  2. The trains will be tri-mode trains, which will be able to use 25 KVAC Overhead electricity, diesel and battery power.
  3. The trains will have a top speed of 125 mph.
  4. The trains will be named Serenza.

The trains will be numbered as Class 897 trains.

I have some further thoughts.

What Diesel Engines Will Be Used?

I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.

The British Rail Class 897 Civity, designed by CAF for London North Eastern Railway, are tri-mode electro-diesel multiple units. While they are built for electric, battery, and diesel operation, specific details regarding the engine manufacturer for the Class 897’s diesel power units have not been officially announced or detailed in public documentation.

Information on the specific model of the diesel engines (e.g., Cummins, MAN) is not available in the provided search results.

CAF’s other diesel-multiple units built in the UK,  as eight of these Class 897 trains will be, have German-made Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.

Consider.

  • American diesel-engine manufacturer; Cummins is specifically-mentioned by Google AI.
  • Cummins have a large diesel engine factory in Darlington, just round the corner from Darlington station.
  • Cummins are known to be decarbonising the company and are producing a range of diesel-engines, that can be converted to run in a carbon-zero mode on hydrogen.
  • Wrightbus now produce the Streetdeck Ultroliner EU6 with a Cummins engine. They also say on their web site, that the bus can be decarbonised, by converting to electric power.
  • Stadler produce the Class 99 locomotive with a Cummins engine.

An alternative and possibly simpler way to decarbonise the Streetdeck Ultroliner EU6s, the Class 99 locomotives and the Class 897 trains might be to convert the diesel engines to zero-carbon hydrogen?

I asked Google AI how many railway locomotives use Cummins diesel engines and received this reply.

More than 13,000 Cummins rail engines are in operation globally, powering various locomotives and railcars. They are heavily utilized in both passenger and freight applications, with over 10,000 underfloor engines in service for diesel railcars. They are commonly found in locomotives built by companies like Siemens and Stadler.

Replacing that number of diesel engines will be a large amount of work. And what better place to base the European side of that business, than in the historic railway town of Darlington?

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line?

As I write this post,  some trains will be replaced by coaches at the weekend, so there is not much point in my mind for tri-mode trains not to be able to take the Diversion using the onboard diesel and battery power.

Google AI gave this answer.

Yes, the Class 897 “Serenza” trains, designed for LNER, are expected to be capable of using the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE). As tri-mode electro-diesel multiple units, they are designed for flexibility and can utilize battery power to navigate routes like the GNGE through Lincoln during engineering works or overhead wire issues.

I suspect it could also allow combining services like Lincoln and Middlesbrough if required.

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take Services To The North Of Scotland?

Google AI gave this answer.

Yes, LNER’s new Class 897 tri-mode trains are designed to operate across their entire network, including routes to Scotland, utilizing electric, diesel, or battery power. These 10-car units will replace older fleets, supporting, as noted by The Anonymous Widower, services from London to the North of England and Scotland, with deployment scheduled to begin from 2027.

Thanks, for the link, Google!

Will LNER Take On The Airlines To Scotland?

Consider.

  • The Class 897 trains running as diesel tri-modes will probably emit less carbon dioxide, than the current Class 800/802 diesel bi-modes.
  • If the Class 897 trains could run as hydrogen tri-modes, they could probably be zero-carbon trains.
  • Hydrogen would not be needed South of Stirling or Edinburgh.

Think of the advertising possibilities to change travellers from the airlines to the trains.

Hydrogen-tri-mode trains make sense

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take Services To The New Destinations In South Yorkshire?

By reading a map, I feel that this route will be possible.

  1. Retford, where the train would leave the East Coast Main Line
  2. Worksop, where there is a good cafe with excellent cakes.
  3. Woodhouse for Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
  4. Sheffield with a reverse.
  5. Meadowhall for the shopping.
  6. Barnsley Interchange
  7. Wakefield Kirkdale.
  8. Leeds

Note.

The route I mapped out is not much different to Hull Trains’s route to Sheffield, that I wrote about in FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service.

  1. Trains could go on from Leeds to York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line.
  2. Trains could go on from Leeds to Settle, Carlisle, Lockerby, Motherwell and Glasgow Central on the Settle and Carlisle Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  3. I do like the idea of a King’s Cross and Glasgow service on the Settle and Carlisle.

There are certainly interesting possibilities for trains to take a number of routes through South Yorkshire.

 

 

February 2, 2026 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Exciting New Train Journeys Coming To The UK In 2026

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.

The journeys are.

South Wales Metro (The ‘Welsh Tube’)

Effectively, what the Welsh have done is turn the railways radiating from Cardiff into the sort of metro that Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Tyne-Tees have created over the last few decades.

  • They are replacing a large proportion of the rolling stock, with new electric or hybrid-electric trains and tram-trains.
  • Some of the lines are notably scenic.
  • Some new stations have been added.
  • There are attractions to visit.
  • A Day Ranger ticket is available.

A few times in the past few years, when I feel I need some fresh air, I’ve taken a train to Cardiff, bought a Day Ranger and climbed a few hills in a train, as in my seventies, I’m too old to walk up.

I wouldn’t be surprised that the forthcoming Leeds Metro borrows heavily from ideas developed on the South Wales Metro.

London To Stirling

Stirling is one of those towns and cities, like Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Shrewsbury and a few others, that Virgin and Avanti West Coast seem reluctant to serve.

I feel by choosing Stirling for a service, Lumo have just done the obvious.

  • The route is fully-electrified.
  • Stops will be Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert.
  • There will be four trains per day.
  • The initial trains will be Class 222 trains.
  • The electric Class 803 trains are on order.
  • Hitachi are developing battery-electric trains for Lumo on the East Coast to be able to use the diversion via Lincoln, which would probably reach Perth.
  • Car-hire companies will do well in Stirling.
  • Stirling has onward train connections to Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Montrose, Perth and Stonehaven.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see FirstGroup, who are Lumo’s parent or another coach company, creating a hydrogen-powered coach network for the North of Scotland.
  • The service will start in May 2026.

That really shows how railways can be used to boost growth. But will the SNP get the message?

I will use this service to have a few days in Stirling and explore the Southern part of the Scottish Highlands by train.

Caledonian Sleeper from Birmingham

This looks to be obvious addition to the Caledonian Sleeper.

The Telegraph says this.

The joys of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, well known to travellers from London, are to be extended for the first time to those wanting to alight at Birmingham International. This change – the biggest in the Caledonian Sleeper schedule for 30 years – will mean that greeting the dawn approaching places as far flung as Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness will be a far more realistic prospect for fans of this form of travel who live in the Midlands.

Note.

  1. The Birmingham stop will be at International not New Street.
  2. The service starts on January 16.
  3. Only the Highlander will stop at Birmingham International.

It seems to be a well-thought out simple addition to the service.

Newquay And Falmouth

The Telegraph says this.

Exciting news for fans of Cornwall where a new direct service linking the north and south coasts this year will make travelling by train between the key towns of Newquay and Falmouth considerably easier. The improvement to the current journey, frequently involving multiple changes and lasting two and half hours, will start with an increase in services between Newquay and Par in the spring and, by the end of the year, the commencement of the direct link all the way through to Falmouth.

Note.

The project is named the Mid Cornwall Metro.

The project has cost £57 million.

The route will be Newquay and Falmouth Docks via Quintrell Down, St. Columb Road, Roche, Bugle, Luxulyan, Par, St. Austell, Truro, Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere and Falmouth Town.

For more information, see midcornwallmetro.com

The journey time between Newquay and Falmouth will be cut by forty-five minutes.

I am sure that there are other rail systems in the UK, Ireland and in the wider world, that could benefit from a

High Speed Sonnet (Weardale To Stratford-upon-Avon)

The Telegraph says this.

And now for something completely different: a one-off charter train from the dales of County Durham to Stratford-upon-Avon, the heart of Shakespeare country. This journey, dubbed the “High Speed Sonnet”, comes as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the introduction of the legendary InterCity 125 high speed trains, one of which will be deployed on the run from Stanhope to the birthplace of the bard.

This train journey, although it is probably very nice is not really my scene.

  • I don’t have a partner.
  • I don’t live near to Weardale or Stratford-on-Avon.
  • As I’m coeliac and low alcohol, I’m not really keen on gourmet dining events.

But the train is an Intercity 125, so some might like to take a ride.

For more details see excursionsbyrail.co.uk

West Highland Line, Scotland

The Telegraph says this.

A journey along the West Highland line, the most scenic stretch of track in Britain, and a visit to the Royal waiting room used by Queen Victoria during visits to Balmoral are two of the highlights of a new tour for 2026, offered by small group Scotland and UK specialists McKinlay Kidd.

Similar comments to the previous journey apply, except that it is West Scotland.

But the train is steam-hauled over the Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame, so some might like to take a ride.

For more details see mckinlaykidd.com

Mid Wales Explorer

The Telegraph says this.

Another new tour for 2026, this one run by The Railway Touring Company, has as its focus the central part of Wales. Highlights include a journey along the Welsh Highland line on the “Harbourmaster”, shorter trips on the celebrated little railways of Llangollen, Bala Lake, Talyllyn, Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool, and a narrowboat ride across world heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct located 38 metres above the River Dee. Tidy.

I might go on this one if the date of June 10th fits.

For more details see railwaytouring.net

Newcastle And Brighton

The Telegraph says this.

How about this for a tantalising prospect – a direct service between Newcastle and Brighton calling at York, Sheffield, Birmingham New Street, Oxford, Reading, and Gatwick Airport – with no need to change trains in London? This is the new route proposed by open-access operator Grand Central (part of Arriva UK Trains) and currently awaiting approval from the Office of Rail and Road.

All going well, services – five trains each way daily – should start by the end of the year. A potential game changer and, following the commencement of the direct link between Seaham and London in December 2025, a further example of Grand Central’s drive to connect underserved communities.

For more details see grandcentralrail.com

London And Cleethorpes

The Telegraph says this.

Another Grand Central proposal that whets the appetite is the application to run direct services (for the first time since 1992) between London and the Lincolnshire seaside town of Cleethorpes. While not without its critics, Cleethorpes is an old-school British resort with pier, promenade and the Cleethorpes Coast Light (miniature) Railway service. If approved, four services a day would be up and running by the end of 2026; additional stops would include Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Thorne South, Crowle and Althorpe.

For more details see grandcentralrail.com

Note.

Althorpe is not to be confused with the burial place of Princess Di.

In Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes, I wrote about excellent gluten-free fish and chips on the pier.

Champagne Moments On The Northern Belle

The Telegraph says this.

The late Queen Mother famously enjoyed G&Ts while seated in carriages which now form part of the the Northern Belle. This in mind, she would likely have approved of the latest innovation on one of Britain’s plushest trains: the addition of a “Krug class”, which includes one bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne per couple, to enjoy over a multi-course meal and seating in Duart (formerly a carriage on The Royal Train) or Glamis, named after the Queen Mother’s childhood home.

The train operates a number of day trips on scenic routes to landmark cities such as York, Edinburgh and Bath, and to colourful events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

For more details see 95pp; northernbelle.co.uk

 

 

 

January 8, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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.

  1. 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.
  2. There is an Aberdeen-Manchester air service, but no Edinburgh-Manchester or Leeds-Scotland air services.
  3. 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.
  4. It looks to me, that LNER are strengthening their services between Doncaster and Scotland.
  5. 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.

  1. Lumo serves Newcastle, Morpeth and Edinburgh.
  2. Reston and East Linton are new stations.
  3. 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.

  1. Trains currently stop at Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
  2. Is the twenty minutes time saving due to the new digital signalling to the South of Doncaster?
  3. 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.

  1. It looks like Great British Railways have surrendered Hull and Beverley to Hull Trains.
  2. Hull Trains are converting their Class 802 trains to battery-electric power.
  3. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. There is also a daily service between King’s Cross and Skipton via Leeds.
  4. I can envisage another service between  King’s Cross and Ilkley via Leeds, Kirkstall Forge, Guiseley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ben Rhydding.
  5. I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Huddersfield, via Leeds, White Rose, Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield and Deighton.
  6. 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.
  7. An alternative to Hebden Bridge would be Rochdale, which already has four platforms and is on the Manchester Metrolink
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. The hourly Crewe service will give access to Liverpool Manchester and the West Coast Main Line.
  3. 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.

  1. There will be a big increase in services between King’s Cross and Newcastle.
  2. Is the aim to persuade travellers to use trains rather than airlines?
  3. LNER also runs one train per day (tpd) between King’s Cross and Middlesbrough.
  4. 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.

  1. Doncaster station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Rotherham Central station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  3. The blue arrow in the South-West corner indicates Rotherham Parkgate tram stop.
  4. Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough stations can be picked out.
  5. 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.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. All seem to serve an exclusive area, except Lumo.
  3. In a couple of years, all could be using Hitachi trains.
  4. 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.

 

 

 

 

September 22, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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.

  1. The red tracks are the electrified platforms in King’s Cross.
  2. The two pink tracks are the Piccadilly Line underneath the station.
  3. Platform 0 is on the right and Platform 10 is on the left.
  4. 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.

  1. It would appear that nine- and ten-car trains can use all platforms 0-8 in the main station.
  2. 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.

 

June 4, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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.

 

 

 

June 2, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

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?

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April 4, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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.

  1. It appears that the service is not calling at Crow.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

 

 

 

March 24, 2025 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. Weekend services are reduced.
  3. 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.

  1. Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
  2. Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
  3. 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.

  1. A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
  2. 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.
  3. Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
  4. 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.

September 3, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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.

  1. This service will be run under the Lumo brand.
  2. Battery-electric trains will be used.
  3. Stops will include Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay.
  4. 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.

  1. Doncaster is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Peterborough is in the South-East corner of the map.
  3. The red line connecting them is the East Coast Main Line.
  4. 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.

  1. Electrify a section through Lincoln, so that Lincoln is within 70 kilometres of the electrification at both Werrington and Black Carr junctions.
  2. Fit bigger batteries to the trains.

A combination of both solutions might be possible.

 

 

August 17, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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