The Anonymous Widower

Completing Northern Powerhouse Rail

The Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two Connection To Manchester Airport Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail connections that terminate at Manchester Airport station.

Note.

  1. The two runways are clearly shown.
  2. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow near the top of the map.
  3. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  4. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  5. Rail and tram services approach the airport station from the East.
  6. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two
  7. The black dotted line appears to be an extension of the tram line to the airport.

This second OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around the airport station to a larger scale.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the bottom of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  3. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  4. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  5. The Manchester Metrolink now makes a loop around the Airport.

I think the following will happen.

  • A large proportion of passengers and staff travelling between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre will use Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  • Passengers and staff, who live locally will use the Manchester Metro loop.
  • Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two will replace some of the current train services.
  • Some services on the Castlefield Corridor will migrate to Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.

There could be as many as twelve trains per hour (tph) between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre on Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two. But a new urban line like that, which was mostly in a tunnel could probably handle 20 tph.

Manchester Airport And Crewe

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Crewe stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the top of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  3. The red track going down the left hand side of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
  4. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  5. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  6. Crewe station is at the bottom of the map in the middle.

There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Airport and Crewe.

Manchester Airport And Manchester Piccadilly

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are existing rail lines.
  3. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  4. The red dotted line going up the middle of the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  5. Manchester Piccadilly station is at the Northern end of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the City Centre between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Piccadilly station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. The red dotted lines creeping into the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  3. All the platforms in Manchester Piccadilly station can be picked out, with the Castlefield Corridor breaking away to the West.
  4. The current plans will need demolition of buildings to the North of Manchester Piccadilly station.
  5. Manchester Victoria station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  6. The green line of the Manchester Metrolink route picks out the walking route between Manchester’s two main stations.
  7. About halfway between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations is the open space of Piccadilly Gardens.

This Google Map shows Piccadilly Gardens.

Note.

  1. The Manchester Metrolink running through.
  2. There are two Metrolink stops ; Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens, in the area.
  3. It appears any stop on the Manchester Metrolink can be reached with no more than a single change from one of these two stops.

Looking at the map showing Victoria and Piccadilly stations, I wonder, if a Lizzie Line of the North could be built under Manchester City Centre.

  • There would be underground platforms at Piccadilly station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the South.
  • Local services from Piccadilly station could continue as now, although services to Manchester Airport could be simplified.
  • There would be an underground station at Piccadilly Gardens with two through platforms , to connect with an expanded Manchester Metrolink, buses and walking routes.
  • There would be underground platforms at Victoria station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the East.
  • Local services from Victoria could continue as now.
  • There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Victoria, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport.

Just as the Lizzie Line was slotted into London, with the minimum of disruption, I am fairly certain, a similar but smaller construction process could be carried out in Manchester City Centre.

  • Manchester doesn’t have an Underground to avoid.
  • The stations could be very similar to each other and like Custom House station on the Lizzie Line, they could be built with giant concrete Lego.
  • There would only be four stations to create.
  • The tunnel would be about fifteen miles at most.
  • The tunnel would not need to be electrified as the trains could run on batteries.

As a Manchester Rail Tunnel has been talked about for decades, I suspect there is a big knowledge base of ground conditions, which would help with the design and construction.

Between Manchester Victoria And Leeds

Consider.

  • The electrification between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations has recently been switched on.
  • Part of the electrification between Leeds and York stations has been switched on.
  • Full electrification is being installed between Leeds and Manchester Victoria stations.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Huddersfield Line between Manchester Victoria station and a few miles short of Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Manchester Victoria station is indicated by the blue arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Huddersfield station is just off the map in the North-East corner.
  3. Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations is fully electrified and shown in red.
  4. Stalybridge and Huddersfield stations is being electrified and is shown as black and red dotted.
  5. Electrification between Huddersfield and Leeds is underway under the TransPennine Upgrade.

This section will be completed, when the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel is connected to the Huddersfield Line.

Connecting The Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel To The Huddersfield Line

This Google Map shows where the Huddersfield Line crosses the M60 Motorway to the West of Ashton-under-Lyme.

Note.

  1. The newly-electrified Huddersfield Line runs across the map.
  2. The M60 Motorway is on the left.
  3. There are facilities for athletics, cricket and football.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eastern portal of the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel was in this area.

But looking at Google  Maps between this site and Manchester Victoria, there are other sites.

Conclusion

I now feel that it is possible to create a Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two route using a tunnel under Manchester.

Obviously, there is more work to be done.

August 15, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Darlington Station – 26th June 2025

I visited Darlington station, three times on my trip.

These pictures are in chronological order.

Note.

  1. The station is being given a major upgrade, so it can handle more trains.
  2. The station has a large number of top-quality Victorian features.
  3. The station is Grade II* Listed.
  4. Inside the enormous train-shed are two long platforms, that handle most of the trains and two South-facing bay platforms.
  5. Two new platforms, which are numbered 5 & 6,  and possibly a double-track avoiding line are being added outside the train-shed on the East side.
  6. In images with a comment saying Note Platform 5, the new long electrified Platform 5 can be seen.
  7. Platform 5 appears to be already electrified at its Southern end.

These three OpenRailwayMaps shows the future layout.

 

The first OpenRailwayMap shows the junction, where the branch to Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Bishop Auckland connects.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified and indicate the East Coast Main Line.
  2. The track curving off to the North-West is the Bishop Auckland Branch.
  3. The black tracks are not-electrified.
  4. The Bishop Auckland Branch is shown dotted black and red, as it will be electrified, so that Hitachi can get their new trains to the East Coast Main Line.
  5. The two tracks of the East Coast Main Line are very straight and the map shows them to have a 125 mph operating speed.

The second OpenRailwayMap, shows the lines immediately to the South of Darlington station.

 

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified.
  2. The black tracks are not electrified.
  3. Tracks are number 4, 3, 2 and 1 from the West.
  4. The Southern ends of Platforms 1 and 4, and Platforms 2 and 3, which are inside the current train-shed appear to be virtually unchanged.
  5. Platform 1 is electrified and will probably still cater for Southbound trains.
  6. Platforms 2 and 3 are bay platforms without electrification for trains terminating at Darlington.
  7. Platform 4 is electrified and will probably still cater for Northbound trains.
  8. There is an electrified avoiding line to the East of Platform 1.
  9. The brick wall of the current train shed is in the white space to the East of Platform 1.
  10. Outside the current train shed are two electrified 125 mph lines, an electrified through platform and a South-facing bay platform without electrification.
  11. The  new electrified platform looks very long. Could it be long enough to handle a pair of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains? I suspect though it is long enough to handle the splitting and joining of a pair of five-car Hitachi Class 80x trains.
  12. The new bay platform looks longer that the current bay platforms 2 & 3. Is it long enough to handle a five-car Hitachi Class 80x train?
  13. It does appear from the track layout, that the new electrified platform is connected to the East Coast Main Line, the Saltburn branch and stabling sidings to the North of the station.
  14. The new bay platform appears to be connected to the Saltburn branch.

The two new platforms also appear to be adjacent to an area of the station, which is labelled Darlington Station Gateway East. I would assume, that this proximity will be used to make the station easy for changing trains.

The third OpenRailwayMap shows the section of the station between the two previous maps.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified.
  2. The black tracks are not-electrified.
  3. The Darlington end of the Bishop Auckland Branch is shown dotted black and red, as it will be electrified, so that Hitachi can get their trains to and from the East Coast Main Line.
  4. Both Platforms 1 and 4 appear to connect to the East Coast Main Line, so high speed services can operate as they do now, by taking a diversion through the current Darlington station.
  5. To the East of the East Coast Main Line, there appear to be some very useful stabling sidings.

I have some general thoughts about Darlington station.

Will Trains Not Stopping At Darlington Station Use The New 125 mph Lines Through the Station?

It does appear that the two 125 mph lines through the new part of the station are very straight.

  • They are shown as 125 mph, but could be faster.
  • It should be remembered that according to Wikipedia, British Rail built the Selby Diversion for 160 mph in 1983.
  • Between Durham and York stations is 66.2 miles of mainly 125 mph railway.

I believe that cutting out the need for trains to slow to go through Darlington station could save several minutes.

Will Trains Stopping At Darlington Station Use The Current Platforms 1 And 4 As They Do Now?

The track layout would seem to allow this and those changing to another train, would not have to walk a long way.

Can Trains Stopping At Darlington Station Use The New Eastern Platforms?

I have examined the second and third maps in detail and it looks as if the track layout will allow trains on the East Coast Main Line in both directions to stop at the long electrified platform.

The shorter bay platform appears to be only connected to the Tees Valley Line to Middlesbrough and Saltburn.

How Long Are The New Eastern Platforms?

Estimating against the scale on the map, I reckon these are the likely lengths.

  • Long electrified platform – 400 metres – Appears to be numbered 5
  • Bay platform – 200 metres – Appears to be numbered 6.

These are very useful lengths.

An Aerial View Of The New Platforms

This image from Tees Valley Combined Authority shows the Northern ends of the new platforms and the new footbridge.

Note.

  1. The original four-platform Victorian station is on the right, which is the Western side.
  2. The East wall of the Victorian train shed can be clearly seen.
  3. The two absolutely straight 125 mph lines, that allow trains to bypass the original station are closest to the wall.
  4. The long electrified platform, which appears to be numbered 5, also appears to be absolutely straight.
  5. The unelectrified bay platform, which appears to be numbered 6, is to the left.
  6. Platforms 5 and 6 would seem to be separated by a wide island platform, which would make interchange easy.

This page on the Network Rail web site, gives more information.

Car Parking At Darlington Station

This image from Tees Valley Combined Authority shows the Northern end of the station.

Note.

  1. The three sections of the Victorian station.
  2. The two new platforms ; 5 and 6 at the top of the image.
  3. The two 125 mph lines bypassing the Victorian station.
  4. There are two new footbridges connecting the Victorian station to the land on the other side of the 125 mph lines.

To the left of the station, there appears to be a massive multi-story car-park.

I asked Google about the new car park at Darlington station and got this reply.

The new multi-story car park at Darlington Station will have a capacity of more than 650 vehicles. This is part of a larger £140 million redevelopment of the station, which also includes new platforms and an eastern concourse. The car park will include accessible parking bays and electric car charging points.

This image from Tees Valley Combined Authority shows the car parking from the South.

Note.

  1. The building appears to be a five-story car park.
  2. There appears to be a very easy connection between the car park and the bridge to the station.
  3. From the roof layout, there appears to be several lifts.
  4. It looks like there will be a large area between the platforms and the car park, where travellers can meet and socialise.
  5. The bay platform 6 already has a pair of red buffer stops.

Railways may have come to Darlington two hundred years ago and it looks like they are getting the car parking at the station ready for at least the next two hundred.

Further Electrification

If as I expect, the UK embraces battery electric technology for local and regional trains, I can see the three South-facing bay-platforms being electrified, so they could charge he battery-electric trains.

This picture shows that bars have been placed across Platforms 2 and 3, that could be used to support the electrification.

This method has been used in Victorian stations in the UK before. I show some installations and discuss electrifying Victorian stations in Could Hull Station Be Electrified?.

 

Darlington Station And High Speed Two

This graphic shows the original service pattern for High Speed Two.

Note.

  1. There are seventeen paths terminating in the South at Euston station.
  2. Six of these paths go to Leeds, Newcastle or York.
  3. As the Eastern leg has been abandoned, that means there will be no High Speed Two trains to Leeds HS2, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle via the East Coast Main Line.

Darlington was to be served by these hourly services.

  • Train 17 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Newcastle via East Midlands Hub, York, Darlington and Durham.
  • Train 23 – London and Newcastle via York and Darlington.

Both trains would have been a single 200 metre long High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train.

Joining And Splitting Trains At Darlington

As Platform 5 looks like it would be a 400 metre long platform, it would look like it would be possible to handle a pair of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

But these trains will not now be serving Darlington in the near future, as the Eastern leg of High Speed Two has been cancelled.

A pair of nine-car Class 801 trains would be 467.4 metres long and might be able to fit into Platform 5.

But a pair of seven-car trains would certainly fit into a 400 metre Platform 5.

In Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?, I found this snippet in an Hitachi document.

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 I suspect with software updates two nine-car trains could run together.

Suppose LNER wanted to attack the airlines on the London and Scottish route.

  • Two seven- or nine-car Class 800 or 801 trains would leave Edinburgh working as a pair.
  • First stop would be Platform 5 in Darlington.
  • The trains would split in Darlington.
  • One train would go to King’s Cross stopping at perhaps Doncaster and Peterborough.
  • The other train would go to St. Pancras stopping at perhaps Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham and Bedford.

Note.

  1. A seven-car Azuma would be under 200 metres long.
  2. Seven-car trains would fit in St. Pancras.
  3. LNER have run an Azuma train into St. Pancras.
  4. The train would interchange with East-West Rail at Bedford.
  5. Travellers to and from East Anglia would change at Peterborough.

Large areas of England would have a fast route to and from Scotland.

 

 

 

 

June 30, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Farage Wants HS2 Scrapped

The title of this post, is the same as a sub-title in this article on The Times. which is entitled HS2: Labour confirms delay until 2033.

This is the sub-heading.

Nigel Farage has called for the whole HS2 project to be scrapped.

These two paragraphs give NF’s view.

The Reform UK leader told the Commons: “Has the moment not come, rather than having another reset, to recognise this is a failure?

“Let’s scrap HS2, let’s use the tens of billions of pounds we can save in the next decade to upgrade railway lines across the entirety of the United Kingdom to the benefit of many millions and spend the rest on other national priorities in these financially straitened times.”

Farage’s simplistic plan will appeal to his disciples, but the major thing that is needed, is more capacity between South and North. Or North and South depending on where you live!

HS2 will provide an extra seventeen paths between London and a large triangular junction in the West Midlands.

If HS2 Is Not Built There Will Be More Cars And Trucks On The Roads

In Footage Released Of East West Rail’s First Commercial Freight Train, I wrote about the SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton (SLPN), which would generate lots of road and rail traffic. Without developments like HS2, the roads will just get clogged up.

High Speed Two’s Originally Proposed Service Pattern

This graphic shows the original service pattern for High Speed Two.

Note.

  1. There are seventeen paths terminating in the South at Euston station.
  2. Six of these paths go to Leeds, Newcastle or York.
  3. As the Eastern leg has been abandoned, that means six extra trains can run between London and the large triangular junction in the West Midlands.

Six extra trains running to the West side of England and Scotland could give a substantial improvement of services.

High Speed Yorkshire

HS2 needs to be paired with High Speed Yorkshire, which would mainly be an upgrading of the East Coast Main Line running at up to 160 mph to serve Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, the North-East and East Scotland.

Note.

  1. British Rail built the Selby Diversion in the 1980s to run at 160 mph.
  2. Digital signalling is currently being installed on this route and this will allow trains to speed through the two bottlenecks of the Digswell Viaduct and the Newark Crossing.
  3. Times of three-and-a-half hours between King’s Cross and Edinburgh, should be possible.

These times should give the airlines a good kicking on London-Newcastle and London-Scotland routes.

Fast services would run on High Speed Yorkshire to Alnwick, Barnetby, Barnsley, Beverley, Berwick, Bradford, Brough, Cleethorpes, Darlington, Doncaster, Durham, Edinburgh, Goole, Grantham, Grimsby, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Peterborough, Pontefract, Retford, Rotherham, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Skipton, Stevenage, Sunderland, Wakefield, Worksop and York.

Most of these towns and cities are already served by Hitachi or other high speed trains from King’s Cross.

A high proportion of the services to Yorkshire destinations will be under two hours from London.

When the current trains need replacing, they could be replaced by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

Onward From Handsacre Junction

Services to the North-West and Scotland will join the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Trent Valley Line between Crewe station and Handacre junction.

Note.

  1. The proposed route of High Speed Two is shown as a dotted line, running diagonally across the map.
  2. The red track to its West is the Trent Valley Line, which is a section of the West Coast Main Line.
  3. Handsacre junction is in the South-East corner of the map.
  4. The blue arrow indicates Stafford station on the West Coast Main Line.
  5. The main High Speed Two tracks will not connect to Stafford or Stoke-on-Trent stations.
  6. Crewe station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  7. Crewe station and Handsacre junction are 37.6 miles apart.

With the exception of the 6 mile twin-track section between Stafford Trent Valley and Colwich junctions, it appears that Crewe station and Handsacre junction is all quadruple track.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Trent Valley Line between Stafford stationand Colwich junction.

Note.

  1. The Trent Valley Line, which is a section of the West Coast Main Line, runs across the map.
  2. The arrow in the North-West corner of the map indicates Stafford station.
  3. Colwich junction is in the South-East corner of the map.
  4. About three-quarters of the way across, the track is shown in cream. This is the twin-track Shugborough Tunnel, which is around a half-mile long.
  5. The Shugborough Tunnel has a 100 mph maximum speed.
  6. The portals of Shugborough Tunnel are Grade II Listed and the Wikipedia entry for the tunnel is certainly worth a read.

How Many High Speed Two trains per hour (tph) will use the Trent Valley Line route?

The original proposal in the graphic earlier shows these trains.

  • 4 – London to Lancaster/Liverpool Lime Street – Splits at Crewe
  • 5 – London to Liverpool Lime Street
  • 6 – London to Stafford, Stoke -on-Trent and Macclesfield
  • 7 – London and Birmingham Interchange to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • 8 – London to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • 9 – London to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • 10 – London and Birmingham Interchange to Preston, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – Splits at Carlisle
  • 11 – London Euston to Preston, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – Splits at Carlisle
  • 12 – Birmingham Curzon Street to Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley Or Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell  and Glasgow Central- Services alternate.
  • 13 – Birmingham Curzon Street to East Midlands Hub, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • 14 – Birmingham Curzon Street to East Midlands Hub, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly

Note.

  1. It looks like there will be eleven High Speed Two tph on the Trent Valley Line.
  2. As East Midlands Hub will not be built, I will assume trains 13 and 14 will be Birmingham Curzon Street to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
  3. Other trains will need to use the route.
  4. I suspect that freight trains, that couldn’t maintain 100 mph would not be allowed.

I believe that digital signalling can handle all the trains between Handsacre Junction and Crewe.

  • Trains 10 and 11 would run every thirty minutes to give two tph between London and Glasgow Central and two tph between London and the two Edinburgh stations.
  • Each of these trains would lead a flight of trains behind them through the Trent Valley Line.
  • The last trains going North in the flights, would be trains 4 and 6, as they stop on the Trent Valley Line section.

I have written a lot of scheduling algorithms in the last fifty years and I wouldn’t be surprised if flights could be up to 7 or 8 trains, running 3 or 4 minutes apart.

It would be an impressive sight.

What Timings Would Be Possible On High Speed Two Using Handsacre Junction And The Trent Valley Line?

In Where Is Handsacre Junction? I calculated some times on High Speed Two to various destinations, using Handsacre junction and the Trent Valley Line. This is a more comprehensive table.

  • London and Blackpool North – 205 mph – 1:55
  • London and Blackpool North – 140 mph – 2:12
  • London and Carlisle – 205 mph – 2:45
  • London and Carlisle – 140 mph – 3:01
  • London and Crewe – 205 mph – 1:03
  • London and Crewe – 140 mph – 1:19
  • London and Edinburgh Waverley  – 205 mph – 4:14
  • London and Edinburgh Waverley  – 140 mph – 4:30
  • London and Glasgow Central  – 205 mph – 4:22
  • London and Glasgow Central  – 140 mph – 4:38
  • London and Handsacre junction – 205 mph – 0:35
  • London and Handsacre junction – 140 mph – 0:51
  • London and Lancaster – 205 mph – 1:50
  • London and Lancaster – 140 mph – 2:06
  • London and Liverpool Lime Street  – 205 mph – 1:46
  • London and Liverpool Lime Street  – 140 mph – 2:02
  • London and Manchester Piccadilly  – 205 mph – 1:41
  • London and Manchester Piccadilly  – 140 mph – 1:57
  • London and Preston – 205 mph – 1:31
  • London and Preston – 140 mph – 1:47
  • London and Stafford  – 205 mph – 0:45
  • London and Stafford  – 140 mph – 1:01
  • London and Stoke-on-Trent – 205 mph – 0:55
  • London and Stoke-on-Trent – 140 mph – 1:11
  • London and Wigan North Western – 205 mph – 1:17
  • London and Wigan North Western – 140 mph – 1:33

Note.

  1. 205 mph could be the average speed between London Euston and Handsacre junction for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
  2. 140 mph could be the average speed between London Euston and Handsacre junction for Class 390 trains.
  3. Times are in hh:nn.
  4. For times North of Handsacre junction are typical Class 390 times.

A typical timing between London Euston and Handsacre junction for Class 390 trains is 71 minutes, so if High Speed Two services were run using Class 390 trains, twenty minutes would be saved on all services via Handsacre junction compared to current Avanti West Coast services.

I have some other thoughts.

Using Class 390 Trains Is Not My Idea

This article on Rail nBusiness UK is entitled Viewpoint: Buy tilting trains and finish Delta Junction to salvage HS2, says Gibb.

This is the sub-heading.

UK: Procurement of a fleet of tilting trains and a focus on Birmingham – Manchester services are key to making the most the descoped High Speed 2 scheme, former Virgin Trains executive Chris Gibb tells Rail Business UK.

Chris Gibb has the right experience. and has been used as a go-to man, when projects are in trouble.

The major points of his plan are as follows.

  1. Connect High Speed Two to the Trent Valley Line to go North from the Midlands.
  2. Initially, use Class 390 trains or Pendelinos on Liverpool, Manchester and Scottish services.
  3. Run Class 390 trains at 140 mph between Euston and Handsacre junction.
  4. When the Pendelinos need to be retired, buy a new set of tilting trains.
  5. Complete the North-to-West leg of High Speed Two’s triangular junction, so that trains can run between Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester.
  6. Gibb proposes a Blackpool service, that splits and joins with a Liverpool service. I assume he means train 5.

Gibb feels a fundamental review of the operating principles and fleet requirements is now needed.

It is a well-thought out viewpoint and very much a must-read.

 

 

 

 

June 21, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Preston Station – 23rd May 2025

I finally got to Preston station today, after my failure that I wrote about in An Annoying Day.

I took these pictures.

I shall deal with the features of the station in separate sub-sections.

The Original High Speed Two Schedule Through Preston Station

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
  5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

If I look at the trains counting from the left of the diagram, I see the following trains passing Preston station.

  1. Train 4 is a pair of classic-compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe, with one train going to Lancaster and the other to Liverpool Lime Street.
  2. Trains 10 and 11 are pairs of classic-compatible trains going between London and Scotland.
  3. Train 12 is a single classic-compatible train going between Birmingham and Scotland.

All four trains stop in Preston station.

The Track Layout

This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout through the station.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in red are electrified and tracks in black or not.
  2. Platforms 3 and 4 form a large island platform in the middle of the station.
  3. The platform is 373 metres long so it will almost take a pairs of classic-compatible trains going between London and Scotland.
  4. There are platforms either side of the island platform.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

How Will High Speed Two Operate At Preston Station?

Four hourly High Speed Two classic-compatible trains on the original plan would have called at Preston.

  • London and Lancaster – Single 200 metre train.
  • London and Scotland – Pair of 200 metre trains, splitting at Carlisle with one going to Edinburgh and one to Glasgow.
  • London and Scotland – Pair of 200 metre trains, splitting at Carlisle with one going to Edinburgh and one to Glasgow.
  • Birmingham and Scotland – Single 200 metre train, going alternately to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

With 27 metres of lengthening, all trains would fit the island platform 3 and 4.

I could see the platforms at Preston station fitted with travelators.

The picture shows the length of the Northbound Platform 3. The camera is looking South.

Footbridges And Subways

I would envisage that a lot of passengers would connect to High Speed Two at Preston station and the crossing from the outside platforms to the central island platform needs to be improved.

As the main trains will be 400 metres long, there will need to be fully step-free access with lifts at both ends of the station.

Judging from my pictures, the current footbridges need refurbishing.

Should Pairs Of High-Speed Trains Split and Join At Preston?

The pairs of High Speed Two classic-compatible trains running between London and Scotland are planned to split and join at Carlisle.

It could be better, if they split and joined at Preston, as it might avoid costly lengthening of the platforms at Carlisle.

 

May 25, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Lancaster Station – 23rd May 2025

I finally got to Lancaster station today, after my failure that I wrote about in An Annoying Day.

I took these pictures.

I shall deal with the features of the station in separate sub-sections.

The Original High Speed Two Schedule Through Lancaster Station

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
  5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

If I look at the trains counting from the left of the diagram, I see the following trains passing or terminating at Lancaster station.

  1. Train 4 is a pair of classic-compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe, with one train going to Lancaster and the other to Liverpool Lime Street.
  2. Trains 10 and 11 are pairs of classic-compatible trains going between London and Scotland.
  3. Train 12 is a single classic-compatible train going between Birmingham and Scotland.

Only the Lancaster portion of Train 4 stops in Lancaster station.

The Track Layout

This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout through the station.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in red are electrified and tracks in black or not.
  2. In the North-West corner of the map the two bay platforms 1 and 2, that are used for local services can be seen.
  3. Platform 3 is a long platform on the Western side of the station, which is generally for Northbound through stopping trains, that can take 265 metre long eleven-car Class 390 trains.
  4. Paired with the track through Platform 3, there is a Northbound avoiding line, that allows faster trains to overtake trains stopped in the station.
  5. Platform 4 is a long platform on the Western side of the island platform on the Eastern side of the station, which is generally for Southbound through stopping trains, that can take 265 metre long eleven-car Class 390 trains.
  6. Paired with the track through Platform 4, there is a Southbound avoiding line, that allows faster trains to overtake trains stopped in the station.
  7. Platform 5 is a long platform on the Eastern side of the island platform on the Eastern side of the station, that is over two hundred metres long.
  8. All through tracks have a 75 mph maximum speed, except for Platform 5, which is just 30 mph.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

How Will High Speed Two Operate At Lancaster Station?

I would expect that the three High Speed Two services to and from Scotland will go through Lancaster station on the avoiding lines, which will mean that each avoiding line will handle one High Speed Two classic-compatible train every twenty minutes.

The train, that terminates at Lancaster has a few options.

  • It could terminate from London in any of platforms 3, 4 or 5.
  • It could leave for London from any of the platforms 3, 4 or 5.

Note.

  1. All three platforms are long enough to accept a single High Speed Two classic-compatible train, which is only 200 metres long.
  2. There would probably need to be some works to the tracks so that trains could terminate in platforms 4 or 5.
  3. There might need to be some works to the tracks so that trains could leave from London from platform 3.

The logical way to terminate the train would probably for the train to arrive and leave in Platform 5, but then this would need improvements to the tracks and also to the passenger footbridge across the tracks.

Eden Project Morecambe And The Morecambe Branch

In a few years time, both the Eden Project Morecambe and High Speed Two will be open and I suspect, a day out could be to take High Speed Two to Lancaster and the local train to Morecambe for a day at the Eden Project Morecambe.

This paragraph from the Eden Project Morecambe web site, describes the current status of the project.

Eden Project Morecambe, previously known as Eden Project North, has been awarded £50m in the second round of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The funding allows the project to move into its next phase and begin the process of finalising the remaining funds required from private and philanthropic sources identified as part of the bidding process.

I had intended to take a train to Morecambe to have a look round, but the train, that I would have needed to catch to get back to London at a reasonable hour, didn’t run due to lack of train crew.

As High Speed Two will provide connections at Lancaster to Birmingham, Carlisle, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Preston, Warrington and Wigan and other trains will provide connections to Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, the Eden Project Morecambe will be well connected to those who might like to visit by rail.

A day out with the kids, could involve a trip on High Speed One to Lancaster, a trip on a battery-electric shuttle train to Morecambe and a day out at the Eden Project Morecambe.

The Eden Project Morecambe could be a big money earner for High Speed Two and other rail companies.

I would envisage, that you would be able to buy an All-in-One ticket to the Eden Project Morecambe, which included your rail tickets.

The Passenger Footbridge

There is a lift on the Southbound side, but on the Northbound and bay platform side, there are only steps.

If substantial numbers of passengers visit the station and need to cross the tracks on the footbridge, as you would from arriving in Platforms 4 or 5 and wanting to go to Eden Project Morecambe, the footbridge is totally inadequate.

Lancaster Station Architecture

Lancaster station is Grade II Listed and you can see why from the pictures.

Work appears to be ongoing to refurbish the station.

The stonework appeared immaculate and very much High Speed Two-ready.

These picture shows part of the Costa coffee shop.

It was not what I expected.

 

 

May 24, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bradford Forster Square Station – 20th May 2025

I took these pictures during my visit to Bradford Forster Square station today.

Note.

  1. The platforms are numbers 0-3, with the ten-car LNER train in platform 1.
  2. Platforms 0 and 1 can take ten-car LNER Class 800/801 trains.
  3. Platform 0 is the recently-built new platform.
  4. Poundland is alongside Platform 0.
  5. The Coffee seems to have bolted.
  6. As Bradford is this year’s City of Culture, someone has decorated the station’s benches.

I have some further thoughts.

Station Additions

The station needs a few additions, like a proper coffee shop, a better shop and toilets.

Platform Lengths

It would appear that Platforms 0 and 1 are able to take a pair of Class 800, 801 or 802 trains, which are just under 260 metres long and each can carry 604 passengers.

It would also be able to handle a single nine-car Class 800, 801 or 802 train, which are just under 234 metres long.

This would mean, that at a future date, the station could handle a 200 metres long High Speed Two Classic-Compatible half-train.

Number Of Services

It appears there were seven services to and from London, with about one every two hours.Going to London three were nine-car trains and four were ten-car trains.

I travelled both ways in the same ten-car train.

May 20, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 2 Comments

Could High Speed Two Serve Chester And North Wales?

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
  5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

If I look at the trains counting from the left of the diagram, I see the following.

  1. Train 4 is a pair of Classic-Compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe, with one train going to Lancaster and the other to Liverpool Lime Street.
  2. Train 5 is a single Classic-Compatible train going to Liverpool Lime Street.

This gives Liverpool Lime Street two trains per hour (tph) and Lancaster one tph

Could train 5 be a a pair of Classic-Compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe, with one train going to Holyhead via Chester and the other to Liverpool Lime Street?

Consider.

  • Yesterday, a pair of Class 805 trains, ran between Euston and Holyhead. Each Class 805 train is 130 metres long, so a pair of Class 805 trains is sixty metres longer than a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train.
  • I am certain, that a single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train will fit the platforms between Crewe and Holyhead.
  • Crewe and Holyhead is 105.5 miles and the route is not electrified.
  • Crewe and Holyhead is double-track all the way except for the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait.
  • With the exception of perhaps 2 to 3 miles, half the route between Crewe and Holyhead has a line speed of 90 mph. with the other half being 75 mph.
  • Given the countryside and the number of important historic sites, electrification might be difficult, as the heritage Taliban will say no!
  • It was promised by the last government that Crewe and Holyhead would be electrified, but I will assume it won’t be!
  • Hitachi, who are part of the consortium building the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains have developed battery-electric high speed train technology, which is likely to be applied to the Current Class 805 trains, that work the route.
  • Hitachi’s battery-electric high speed train technology can propel the trains at up to 125 mph, provided the track allows it.

I feel that Crewe and Holyhead can be developed into one of the most iconic high speed railways in the world, by using battery-electric high-speed trains. Tourists would come from all over the world, to experience mouse-quiet battery-electric trains.

High Speed Two should go for it!

These are some thoughts.

It Would Be A Green Route To Ireland

Consider.

The fastest direct Avanti service to Holyhead is scheduled to take  three hours and forty-two minutes, with one hour and 46 minutes between Euston and Crewe, and one hour and fifty-seven minutes between Crewe and Holyhead.

  • High Speed Two will knock thirty-four minutes off the time between Euston and Crewe, when the core route between Euston and Crewe is complete, which will reduce the time to three hours eight minutes, with with one hour and 12 minutes between Euston and Crewe, and one hour and fifty-seven minutes between Crewe and Holyhead.
  • The Crewe and Holyhead section of the route would still take one hours and fifty-seven minutes, which is an average speed of just 54 mph, along the North Wales Coast.
  • An overall time of three hours between Euston and Holyhead, would require an average speed along the North Wales coast, which would be an average speed of just 62 mph.
  • The operating speed is an average of around 80 mph between Crewe and Holyhead, and would run the section of the route in 79 minutes, which would mean a Euston and Holyhead time of two hours and 31 minutes.
  • A 100 mph average between Crewe and Holyhead, would run the section of the route in 63 minutes, which would mean a Euston and Holyhead time of of two hours and 15 minutes.

I believe that with track improvements, a more efficient stopping pattern and using Hitachi’s battery technology, that battery-electric High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains could run between Euston and Holyhead in under two hours.

A fast ferry would complete the route between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire.

Could More Than One Train Per Hour Be Sent To Chester And North Wales?

Consider.

  • Because of the cancellation of Phase 2 of High Speed 2, there are spare paths on High Speed Two between London and the West Midlands.
  • If the core section of High Speed Two is extended Northwards to Crewe, as advocated by Dyan Perry of the High Speed Rail Group, that I wrote about in The Future Of HS2 Could Lie In Its Original Vision, this would create extra paths to Crewe.
  • If the West Midlands and Crewe section of the High Speed Two route has the same capacity as London Euston and the West Midlands it could handle seventeen tph.
  • At present it looks like with the cancellation of Phase 2, the West Midlands and Crewe section will handle just ten tph.

, So there will be seven spare paths between Euston and Crewe!

In fact it will be better than that, as each train could be a pair of Classic-Compatible trains, that split and joined to serve two destinations.

Could A North Wales Service Call At Hawarden Airport?

Hawarden Airport is where Airbus build wings for their aircraft in the UK.This Google Map shows Hawarden Airport.

Note.

  1. The large runway.
  2. The various factory buildings.
  3. The North Wales Coast Line between Chester and Holyhead, runs along the North side of the Airport.

I doubt if Airbus wanted a station, it would be difficult to arrange.

Conclusion

Because of the vacant paths, it would appear that extra services to North Wales and North West England can be fitted in.

 

May 16, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could High Speed Two Serve Blackpool North?

Consider.

  • Blackpool North station is electrified and will have an electrified route to London Euston HS2 and Birmingham Curzon Street stations, when High Speed Two opens.
  • Yesterday, both 11-car and 9-car Class 390 trains, which are longer than single High Speed Two classic-compatible trains, used Blackpool North station.
  • Blackpool is noted for fresh air and fun.
  • Blackpool needs leveling-up. Surely High Speed Two will help with this?
  • Blackpool has a unique Modern and Ancient tramway to bring residents and visitors to High Speed Two.

I am fairly sure, that single High Speed Two class-compatible trains could use Blackpool North station.

But could another High Speed Two service have a path between London and Preston to serve Blackpool?

Because of the cancellation of Phase 2 of High Speed 2, there are spare paths on High Speed Two between London and the West Midlands.

If the core section of High Speed Two is extended Northwards to Crewe, as advocated by Dyan Perry of the High Speed Rail Group, that I wrote about in The Future Of HS2 Could Lie In Its Original Vision, this would create extra paths to Crewe.

It looks to me, that the tricky part of the route is between Crewe and Preston.

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
  5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

Note that if Phase 1 were to be completed to Crewe, there would be five full-size and five classic-compatible trains using the West Midlands and Crewe section of the High Speed Two route, of which five trains would terminate at Manchester Piccadilly HS2 station and two classic-compatible trains would terminate at Liverpool Lime Street.

So just three Scottish trains and one to Lancaster would go North of Warrington Bank Quay station, which would be an average of one train every fifteen minutes.

High Speed Two will be fully digitally signalled and I’m sure that trains could run as flights of two or more trains, a couple of minutes apart.

This would mean that a London and Blackpool North service could run say two minutes behind one of the London and Scotland services to Preston

  • Between London and the West Midlands, there would be twelve trains per hour (tph).
  • Between the West Midlands and Crewe, there would be also be twelve tph.
  • Between Crewe and Preston, there would be five tph.

I believe it would be possible for High Speed Two  to run a London and Blackpool North service, provided that the London Euston to Crewe core of High Speed Two is completed soon after Phase 1 is completed.

It should also be noted, that I believe the second Scottish service from London could also have a flight with another service. So could Barrow or Blackburn have a High Speed Two service from London?

May 13, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two?

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
  5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
  7. Was Lancaster chosen as it’s close to the new Eden Project Morecambe?

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

It would appear if High Speed Two sticks to this original pattern of services, then the following trains will go through Wigan North Western station.

  • 200 metre single train – London Euston and Lancaster, which stops at Old Oak Common, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.
  • 400 metre pair of trains – London Euston and Edinburgh Haymarket/Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central, which stops at Old Oak Common, Preston, Carlisle.
  • 400 metre pair of trains – London Euston and Edinburgh Haymarket/Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central, which stops at Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange, Preston, Carlisle.
  • 200 metre single train – Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh Haymarket/Edinburgh Waverley or Motherwell/Glasgow Central, which stops at Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Lockerby and every two hours at Oxenholme and Penrith.

Note.

  1. Only single High Speed Two classic-compatible trains, stop in Wigan North Western station and they are only two hundred metres long.
  2. One train per hour (tph) terminates at Lancaster and a second tph terminates alternatively at Edinburgh Haymarket/Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Central.
  3. Four hundred metre long pairs of trains go through North Western station without stopping.

Currently Wigan North Western has 14 trains per day (tpd) stopping at the station, eleven of which go to Scotland and three to Blackpool.

This Google Map shows Wigan North Western station.

Note.

  1. The two long platforms in the middle of the station, where the Avanti trains stop.
  2. A long platform on the Southern side of the station used by local services to and from Liverpool and Blackpool.
  3. Three bay platforms on the Northern side of the station, one of which is unused, that handle local services to Manchester and beyond.

As the 265.3 metre long Class 390 trains can use the central platforms, High Speed Two classic-compatible trains will be able to use these platforms.

On my brief visit to the station yesterday, I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. All Class 390 trains are longer than High Speed Two classic-compatible trains, so the train in the pictures indicates that the High Speed Two trains will be able to stop at Wigan North Western station.
  2. The platforms are long and wide.
  3. The station is well-equipped with lifts, cafes, waiting rooms and some of the best toilets in a station in the North of England.
  4. Wigan Wallgate station is only a short walk away, with a selection of local services to Blackburn, Headbolt Lane, Manchester, Southport and a large proportion of Lancashire.
  5. The last two pictures were taken looking at the two stations from halfway.
  6. The shops between the two stations are a good selection and include a Morrisons Local.

I had been intending to go on to Preston, Lancaster and Morecambe, but a points failure at Preston meant that no trains were running.

Conclusion

The two Wigan stations and the buses that serve them,  could be a good interchange for passengers to catch High Speed Two.

I feel that most of the work needed to be done at Wigan North Western to get the station ready for High Speed Two will mainly be cosmetic or technical upgrades like signalling. I can’t see any expensive or disruptive upgrades like platform lengthening being needed.

May 11, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Arriving In Liverpool Lime Street Station – 10th May 2025

Liverpool Lime Street station has one of the more spectacular approaches of British railway stations, as these pictures show.

These sections describe the approach.

Crossing The Mersey

You cross the Mersey at Runcorn on the Ethelfreda or Britannia Bridge, which is described in this Wikipedia entry.

It was completed in 1868 and hopefully in a few years, it will be carrying High Speed Two trains between London and Liverpool.

On your right as you cross the Mersey to Liverpool is the Silver Jubilee road bridge, which is a through arch bridge that opened in 1961 to replace a historic transporter bridge. I am just a little bit too young to have seen the transporter bridge.

Further to your right, you can see the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which is a cable-stayed bridge, that opened in 2017 and is described in this Wikipedia entry.

Drax’s Biomass

As you approach Lime Street station, you pass through Edge Hill, where there are the GB Railfreight sidings, where the biomass trains for Drax power station are marshalled for their journey across the Pennines. These Drax trains seem to be one of the few freight trains in the UK, that carry advertising. Tesco trains also do, but their’s is just big letters.

In Do Cummins And Stadler Have a Cunning Plan?, I talked about the possible conversion at some date in the future of GB Railfreight’s new electro-diesel Class 99 locomotives to electro-hydrogen locomotives. These locomotives will surely be ideal for hauling Drax’s biomass trains across the Pennines.

I do believe that these Class 99 locomotives are the future of heavy freight trains in the UK. In Iarnród Éireann Looks At Diesel Loco Replacement Options, I write about speculation, that Stadler may build a version for the Irish.

Through The Edge Hill Cutting

From Edge Hill a deep cutting through the sandstone takes you into Lime Street station.

It looked good in the sun, but the first time I arrived in the city to start my studies at Liverpool University, it was chucking it down and the cutting was very dark and wet.

It was a very different welcome to that, which I got yesterday.

My Train Arrived In Platform 10

Liverpool Lime Street has two cast iron train sheds.

  • The Western shed has platform 1 to 5 and generally handles trains from the East.
  • The Eastern shed has platform 6 to 10 and generally handles trains from the South.

Note.

  1. Changing between trains is just a step-free walk across the station concourse.
  2. Both sections have their own taxi rank and full-size clock.
  3. The Ticket Office is in the Western train shed.

I just walked from my train to the Ticket Office, bought a Lancashire Day Ranger ticket and then walked fifty metres to my next train.

How many stations have such an easy change of trains?

Is Liverpool Lime Street Station Ready For High Speed Two?

Consider.

  • I travelled North in an 11-car Class 390 train, which is 265.3 metres long and can carry 607 passengers.
  • As the last pictures show, the train fitted easily into platform 10.
  • High Speed Two plans to send 200 metre classic-compatible trains to Liverpool Lime Street, with each having a capacity of up to 528.

It looks to me, that these High Speed Two classic-compatible trains will fit into Liverpool Lime Street station, at any platform that currently accepts an eleven-car Class 390 train.

Looking on Real Time trains over the last few days, I’ve found eleven-car Class 390 trains using platforms 9, 10 and 6.

It seems that Network Rail’s engineers have done a superb job to turn the Grade II Listed station, into one of the best operationally.

May 11, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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