The Anonymous Widower

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

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

This is the sub-heading.

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

These are the first two paragraphs.

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

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

I have a few thoughts.

Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Diesel Engines?

Consider.

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

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

Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Hybrid PowerPacks?

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

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

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

Class 800 And Class 397 Trains Compared

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

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

Differences include.

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

I will add to this list.

Will The New Trains Be Capable Of 140 mph Running?

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

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

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

Later in the article this is said.

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

This does seem sensible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Number Of Trains Ordered

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

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

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

Can These New CAF Trains Be Made Net Zero?

This is a paragraph, in the LNER press release.

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

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

Consider.

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

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

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

Routes They Will Serve

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

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

Note.

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

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

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

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

Note.

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

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

But.

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

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

Do Hitachi Have A Problem?

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

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

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

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

The trains would certainly be suitable for these routes.

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

Note.

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

 

 

 

 

November 11, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A First Trip To Headbolt Lane Station – 13th October 2023

Headbolt Lane station opened a week ago and I went to take a look today, where I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. It is a three-platform station, with two platforms pointing towards Liverpool and one towards Wigan Wallgate station.
  2. Changing trains is about a fifty metre walk.
  3. The toilets are trans-ready. But the toilets at Peterborough station, that I wrote about in A Pair Of Toilets At Peterborough Station were too.

I have a few thoughts.

Could There Be Through Running Between Headbolt Lane and Wigan Wallgate Stations?

This picture shows the walkway between Platform 2 on the South side of the tracks and Platforms 1 and 3 on the North side.

Note.

  1. Platform 1 is the platform on the left and Platform 2 is on the right.
  2. Platform 3 is in line with Platform 1 behind the fence at the far end of Platforms 1 and 2.
  3. The tracks don’t go straight through.
  4. There are two concrete blocks forming the walkway between platforms.

I suspect the answer is no at the moment.

But I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the blocks have been designed to be lifted out and there is space to put a footbridge over the tracks, so that if in the future, through running were to be required, it is possible.

How Would A Station To Skelmersdale Be Connected?

In New Express Bus Improves Links Between Skelmersdale And Liverpool, I talked about a new express bus service between Kirkby and Skelmersdale.

This page on Bus Times gives details of the service.

The 319 Trainlink service will surely give useful information on possible passenger numbers.

In Would A Lower Cost Rail Link To Skelmersdale Be Possible?, I looked at options for the rail line.

Wigan’s Comprehensive Local Connections

Wigan North Western and Wigan Wallgate station have services to all these stations.

  • Accrington
  • Appley Bridge
  • Ashton-under-Lyne
  • Atherton
  • Bescar Lane
  • Blackburn
  • Blackpool North
  • Bolton
  • Broad Green
  • Bryn
  • Burnley Manchester Road
  • Burscough Bridge
  • Clifton
  • Daisy Hill
  • Deansgate
  • Eccleston Park
  • Edge Hill
  • Euxton Balshaw Lane
  • Farnworth
  • Garswood
  • Gathurst
  • Hag Fold
  • Headbolt Lane
  • Hindley
  • Hoscar
  • Huyton
  • Ince
  • Kearsley
  • Leyland
  • Littleborough
  • Manchester Oxford Road
  • Manchester Victoria
  • Meols Cop
  • Moorside
  • Moses Gate
  • New Lane
  • Orrell
  • Parbold
  • Pemberton
  • Poulton-le-Fylde
  • Prescot
  • Rainford
  • Toby
  • Rochdale
  • Rose Grove
  • Salford Central
  • Salford Crescent
  • Smithy Bridge
  • Southport
  • Stalybridge
  • St Helens Central
  • Swinton
  • Todmorden
  • Thatto Heath
  • Upholland
  • Walkden
  • Wavertree Technology Park
  • Westhoughton

Fifty-eight stations is certainly comprehensively connected.

The Connection To High Speed Two At Wigan North Western

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the two Wigan stations; North Western and Wallgate.

Note.

  1. The orange tracks are the West Coast Main Line, which in the future, will carry High Speed Two services to and from Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Scotland.
  2. The yellow tracks are the local lines between Manchester in the East and Kirkby and Southport in the West.
  3. The local lines split after they pass under the West Coast Main Line, with the North-Western branch going to Southport and the Western branch going to Headbolt Lane, Kirkby and Liverpool.
  4. Wigan North Western is on the West Coast Main Line.
  5. Wigan Wallgate is on the local lines.

The stations are close enough to be converted into a superb combined station, where local passengers can join high speed services.

This picture shows the platforms of Wigan North Western station.

Wigan North Western station can’t be far off being able to accept pairs of High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, that will be 400 metres long.

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Only two High Speed Two services stop at Wigan North Western.

  • The London and Lancaster service, which splits and joins with a London and Liverpool service at Crewe.
  • The Birmingham and Scotland service.

As Wigan North Western has comprehensive local connections to the Northern areas of Liverpool and Manchester, it surely needs more services.

North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment

This is the title of this government document, which has this sub-heading.

Multibillion-pound plan to link major cities in the North via bus, rail and new and improved roads.

It says this about Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.

  • Greater Manchester will also receive around £1.5 billion from the CRSTS2 budget and around £900 million additional funding – funded from HS2 – which is an unprecedented investment in local transport networks. That is more than double their allocation under the previous programme
  • Liverpool City Region will also receive c.£1 billion from the CRSTS2 budget, plus a further £600 million on top – funded from HS2. That is more than double their allocation under the last round

Some of that amount of money could go a long way to improve Liverpool and Manchester connections through Wigan and create a link to High Speed Two.

TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland

Currently, the following services run between Liverpool and Manchester, and Scotland.

  • Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell
  • Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Waverley – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District and Haymarket Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle and Lockerbie and Haymarket
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central – 2 tpd – via St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell

Note.

  1. tp2h is trains per two hours.
  2. tpd is trains per day.
  3. Only the Liverpool services go through Wigan.
  4. North of Preston all trains will use the same route.
  5. All three services are run by Class 397 trains.
  6. When High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains start running to Glasgow and Edinburgh, they will use the same route North of Preston.

Point 5 surely means that High Speed Two’s trains will be limited to the same speed as the current Class 397 trains, which is 125 mph. Although, this might be increased to up to 140 mph, by the use of in-cab digital signalling.

Consider.

  • Edinburgh to Preston is 191.4 miles.
  • The current TransPennine express service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 34 minutes, with five stops, at an average speed of 74.6 mph.
  • The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the London-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 30 minutes, with two stops and a split/join at Carlisle, at an average speed of 76.6 mph.
  • The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the Birmingham-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 24 minutes, with four stops, at an average speed of 79.8 mph.

Note.

  1. The first timing is based on a Class 397 train and the others will be High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
  2. The times would appear to be vaguely in line with each other.
  3. The removal of the split/join could explain why the Birmingham service is six minutes faster.

The following would appear to be true.

  • Both the Class 397 and High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains can run at similar speeds North of Preston.
  • The High Speed Two Classic Compatible train may have faster acceleration and deceleration, which could save a few minutes.
  • Nothing substantial has been done to improve the tracks between Edinburgh and Preston.
  • As the current times are run without digital signalling and the Class 397 train, is within ten minutes of that, I would be very surprised if digital signalling will be installed before High Speed Two services reach Edinburgh.

I also suspect that if digital signalling and a few other improvements were made to the North of Preston, a few extra minutes could be saved.

The Future Of TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland

Will the TransPennine services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland continue after High Speed Two services start running to North of the border?

Consider.

  • I have never seen any plans from High Speed Two for services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland.
  • If the TransPennine services, aren’t kept, travelling between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland will need a change at Wigan North Western or Preston.
  • The TransPennine services will probably need only a single train per hour (tph) on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Preston.

I can see them continuing. But possibly in a different form.

In 1967, I went from Glasgow to Manchester on a train.

  • The Glasgow and Edinburgh trains joined at Carstairs.
  • They then split again at Preston.
  • One half went to Manchester and the other half went to Liverpool.

I remember that the train was late, because of late arrival of the Edinburgh train at Carstairs.

I needed to take a taxi. But I wrote my first complaint letter and got a cheque from British Rail.

Could similar joining and splitting be used again, as it uses only one train path between Preston and Scotland?

Would it also be better, if the service were to be under the Management of High Speed Two?

There are several possibilities, but I feel the TransPennine services will continue.

October 12, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

High Speed Two To Blackpool

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

The Current Blackpool Service

I shall look at the 05:35 train on the 5th October 2023.

  • It was a pair of Voyagers or Class 221 trains.
  • Euston and Blackpool North are 226.5 miles apart.
  • The train called at Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Crewe and Stafford
  • The train should have arrived at Preston at 05:56 and left at 0600.
  • The train should have arrived at Wigan North Western at 06:11 and left at 06:12.
  • The train should have arrived at Warrington Bank Quay at 06:22 and left at 06:24.
  • The train should have arrived at Crewe at 06:46 and left at 06:55.
  • The train should have arrived at Stafford at 07:13 and left at 07:14.
  • The train should have arrived at London Euston at 08:35
  • The journey took three hours.
  • The average speed was 75.5 mph.
  • The Crewe and Blackpool North section is 68.5 miles and the train is scheduled to take one hour and eleven minutes.
  • The average speed between Crewe and Blackpool North is 57.9 mph.
  • There are three trains per day (tpd).

Note.

  1. Other services between London Euston and Blackpool North  are run by eleven-car Class 390 trains or Pendolinos.
  2. Blackpool North is fully electrified to London.

This means that London Euston and Blackpool North could be run using High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

I have a few questions.

What Time Would Be Possible At The Present Time?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, one hour and seventeen minutes is the fastest time between London Euston and Stafford.
  • The 05:35 is timed to take one hour and thirteen minutes with the four stops, between Blackpool North and Stafford.

This would give a London Euston and Blackpool North time of two hours and thirty minutes.

What Time Would Be Possible When High Speed Two Lite Opens To Handsacre Junction?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, fifty-five minutes will be the fastest time between London Euston and Stafford, after High Speed Two opens to Handsacre junction.
  • The 05:35 is timed to take one hour and thirteen minutes with the four stops, between Blackpool North and Stafford.

This would give a London Euston and Blackpool North time of two hours and eight minutes.

What Frequency Would Be Needed?

LNER seem to run their secondary services to places like Harrogate and Lincoln using a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).

That could be an ideal frequency.

Would There Be A Path For The Train To And From London Euston?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
  4. The nine paths to the right of the vertical black line will not be needed for some time. If ever!
  5. It looks like a maximum of only eleven paths will be needed to the South of Birmingham.
  6. It looks like a maximum of only fourteen paths will be needed to the North of Birmingham.

In Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?, I totted up all the services through Stafford after High Speed Two Lite opened to Handsacre junction and got these figures.

  • Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  • Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  • North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  • South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  • Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

I accounted for services moving from the West Coast Main Line to High Speed Two.

Consider.

  • A large proportion of the route between Preston and Handsacre junction, where the route would join High Speed Two Light has two dedicated high speed tracks and two tracks for freight and local services.
  • Digital signalling on High Speed Two has been designed to handle eighteen trains per hour (tph) at 225 mph.
  • Surely, the two dedicated high speed tracks, if fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling could handle say 16 tph at 140 mph.
  • Network Rail are good at juggling trains to squeeze in more services.
  • Extra paths could be created by splitting and joining trains at Crewe or Preston.

My Control Engineering training and practice tells me that it should be possible to add perhaps two tph between Preston and Euston.

Conclusion

I believe that High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains could be close to two hours between Blackpool and London Euston, when High Speed Two Lite opens from Handsacre junction.

 

October 8, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?

Stafford station is where the Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line and with the current proposals for High Speed Two, which I refer to as High Speed Two Light, it will also have to handle those High Speed Two services to and from Crewe.

Current Services Through Stafford Station

These are current services through Stafford station.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. tph is trains per hour.
  3. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 8 tph.
  4. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 4 tph.
  5. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 4 tph.
  6. South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 14 tpd and 4 tph.
  7. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 3 tph.

Stafford is a very busy station.

Services have these frequencies from Stafford.

  • Crewe – 21 tpd and 3 tph.
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 3 tph.
  • London Euston – 23 tpd and 4 tph.
  • Wolverhampton – 13 tpd and 4 tph.

Could Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford do with a few extra services?

High Speed Two Services Through Stafford Station

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.

These could be High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.

  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
  4. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 1 tph.

There are a lot of trains to squeeze through. But remember that High Speed Two signalling is designed to handle 18 tph.

Combined Services Through Stafford Station

These could be the combined current High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 19 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 15 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 15 tph.
  4. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 4 tph.

But there are duplicate services.

High Speed Two services to Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland, will replace Avanti West Coast services.

High Speed Two services between Birmingham and Manchester, will replace CrossCountry services.

Removing these current services gives.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  4. South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  5. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

With these frequencies, I suspect digital signalling will be needed.

Services have these frequencies from Stafford.

  • Crewe – 11 tpd and 5 tph.
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph.
  • London Euston – 11 tpd and 4 tph.
  • Wolverhampton – 3 tpd and 2 tph.

Note.

  1. Stoke-on-Trent needs more trains.
  2. There is virtually no trains on the West Coast Main Line to the South of Stafford.
  3. The frequencies indicate digital signalling will be needed.

On this brief look, I think that High Speed Two Lite will open up a lot of possibilities.

 

 

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?

The original plan for High Speed Two included two routes between Lichfield and Crewe.

This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the two routes.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, at the Southern end of the orange section.
  4. The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the proposed new tracks of High Speed Two.
  6. The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  7. The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.

This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.

  • The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
  • The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
  • This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.

London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two  times on the route could be very fast.

Trains Between London And Stafford Before And After High Speed Two To Lichfield

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.

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

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

Note.

  1. That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.
  2. High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.
  3. High Speed Two will also add eighteen trains per hour (tph) to the capacity between London and Lichfield.

This would seem to mean that any trains  going to or through Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, if they use High Speed Two between London and Lichfield.

Trains Between London And Crewe Before And After High Speed Two To Crewe

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

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

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

Note.

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

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

High Speed Two Between Lichfield And Crewe Only Saves An Extra Twelve Minutes

It appears that extending High Speed Two to Crewe only saves an extra twelve minutes.

But it will also have these benefits.

High Speed Two Full-Size trains will be able to run to Crewe.

High Speed Two will also add eighteen tph to the capacity between London and Crewe.

Savings From Scrapping High Speed Two Between Lichfield And Crewe

In addition to the savings of the scrapping of the line, I suspect that any modifications to Crewe station will be much simpler.

I wonder how much will be saved by not building High Speed Two to Crewe.

Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?

This is the question I asked in the title.

We know the benefits of building High Speed Two and as time progresses we’ll know the costs and the disruption the building will cause with an increasing accuracy.

I also believe that even High Speed Two Lite will be a rip-roaring success, and other places will want their own High Speed Two service, which will need an increase in capacity North of Lichfield.

So there will come a point, when there is an overwhelming case to build the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

Because of that we must make sure, that any sales of land or properties, doesn’t compromise building the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

Conclusion

There will come a point, when the amount of traffic, will mean that it is worth building the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

My other conclusion is important and the route of the originally proposed High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe, must not be compromised.

October 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is Six Platforms Enough At Euston For High Speed Two?

In this article in The Times, which is entitled What Is The New HS2 Route? The UK’s High-Speed Rail Network Mapped, this is said.

Sunak said a new six-platform station at Euston would save £6.5 billion compared with HS2’s vision of an 11-platform scheme.

But would it be possible to operate a full service with just six platforms?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services, as proposed by HS2 after Phase 2b opens.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each service will run once an hour.
  4. There are seventeen services that terminate at Euston in every hour.
  5. Eight are High Speed Two Full Size trains, which are 400 metres long.
  6. Four are single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains, which are 200 metres long.
  7. Five are pairs of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains, which are 400 metres long.

I have a few thoughts.

The Capacity of High Speed Two

High Speed Two has been designed to have a capacity of eighteen trains per hour (tph).

That means it should be able to handle the seventeen tph to and from Euston.

Six Platforms Would Mean That Each Platform Would Handle Three tph

That is just simple arithmetic.

But could each platform handle three tph?

There are several places in the UK, where a single platform handles three or even four tph.

But these are generally smaller stations handling smaller trains.

I believe that with passenger entry to the platforms from both ends, as there is at King’s Cross, London Bridge and Manchester Piccadilly, that twenty minutes between trains should be possible.

What Happens If It Goes Wrong?

Occasionally trains fail, platforms get blocked or something more serious happens, which in the case of the HS2 Euston station would reduce the number of platforms available to five.

One of these actions could be taken.

Some Trains Can Terminate At Old Oak Common Station

Old Oak Common station is proposed to have six high speed platforms, so four platforms could be used to terminate trains in cases of trouble.

Two Services Run Using Single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  Trains Could Share A Platform

This would work as the platforms are designed to accept a pair of these trains.

Platforms 17 And 18 At The Current Euston Station Could Be Used In An Emergency?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks and platforms at Euston station.

Note.

  1. Each red track is an electrified platform, with its number alongside.
  2. Platforms 17 and 18 are on the Western side.
  3. The pink tracks are London Underground lines.
  4. The dotted red and grey track down the Western side is the High Speed Two tracks.

Would it be possible to connect the High Speed Two tracks to Platforms 17 and 18 for use in an emergency?

I think it would be.

Conclusion

I believe that it’s possible to design a six-platform station to handle all the High Speed Two traffic at Euston.

October 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 5 Comments

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

Some of you out there might be a bit worried after Rishi Sunak’s speech today, when he announced he’d cancelled High Speed Two, as you might be losing a future high speed service.

Currently, Stoke-on-Trent is served by two trains per hour (tph), that run between London and Manchester Piccadilly.

  • One train calls at Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Macclesfield and Stockport, and takes about 1:33 to Stoke and 2:12 to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • The other calls at Nuneaton and Stockport, and takes about 1:30 to Stoke and 2:06 to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Trains are both 9-car and 11-car Class 390 trains or Pendolinos.
  • All trains go via Colwich.

This map shows the  Colwich, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. The line across the South-West corner of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
  3. Stafford is the Northern end of the Trent Valley Line, which runs East along the bottom of the map.
  4. The Trent Valley Line, which is a by-pass of the West Coast Main Line, rejoins that line at Rugby.
  5. Stoke-on-Trent is in the North-West corner of the map.
  6. Colwich is in the South-East corner of the map and is marked by a blue arrow.
  7. There are two routes between Stone-on-Trent and Colwich; the more-direct Northern route and a Southern route via Stafford.

The current services between London and Stoke-on-Trent use the more-direct Northern route, although they can take the Southern route via Stafford.

This must mean that as Stoke-on-Trent services take the Northern route, there are more paths through Stafford for West Coast Main Line services to and from Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland.

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.

The third High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  train from the left is a London and Macclesfield service, which will stop at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, has the following timings from London.

  • Stafford – 0:55 – 22 minutes faster
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10 – 14 minutes faster
  • Macclesfield – 1:30 – 11 minutes faster

I have a few thoughts and questions.

How Does This High Speed Two Service Get To And From London?

The service goes through Stafford and then takes the Trent Valley Line to the South.

This map clipped from the HS2 site, shows the original layout of HS2 to the North and East of Lichfield.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, the now-scrapped High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line, which can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.
  4. The Trent Valley Line goes North-West through Colwich to Stafford, where the line rejoins the West Coast Main Line.

As the Eastern branch North from the junction has been scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via this link between High Speed Two at Lichfield and Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Can The Current Trains and the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  Trains Share Tracks?

The answer will be yes, as the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains have been designed to share tracks with existing trains.

Full digital signalling may be needed to enable 140 mph running and more paths on the classic lines.

Will There Be A Second High Speed Two Service To Stoke-On-Trent And Stafford?

One of the problems with High Speed Two is that it won’t call at stations in the Midlands that are currently served by Avanti West Coast.

  • Currently, stations with an Avanti call are Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton and Rugby.
  • Avanti’s second Liverpool service will call at Tamworth and Lichfield Trent Valley.
  • In the June 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, Avanti’s Managing Director; Andy Mellors talks about the benefits the company accrues from stopping in the Midlands.

I believe that after High Speed Two opens, that a semi-fast service could run between London and Manchester.

  • It would be run by a Class 390 train or Pendolino.
  • It would use the route currently used by Manchester services via Stoke-on-Trent.
  • At the Southern end, it would terminate in London Euston.
  • It could call at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  • ,Station stops would be arranged as to need.
  • A one stop service to London takes 90 minutes from Stoke-on-Trent, with a two-stopper taking 93 minutes, so does each stop with a Pendolino add three minutes to the journey time?

Such a service could be developed to give stations like Stoke-on-Trent a second service to London.

The Lines Around Stafford

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around Stafford.

Note.

  1. Red lines are electrified.
  2. Black Lines are not.
  3. Stafford is marked by the blue arrow.

Selective electrification could probably improve connectivity by a large margin.

This Google map shows Stafford station.

I feel that Stafford station could be developed into a major interchange between High Speed Two and local services.

Conclusion

It looks to me that Stoke-on-Trent will be well-served by High Speed Two.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Wigan

 

 

 

 

October 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

High Speed Two To Holyhead

Rishi Sunak has just announced that the North Wales Main Line will be electrified, along with the cancellation of further phases of High Speed Two.

I have written about this topic before in Could High Speed Two Serve Holyhead?.

In that post, I started with this question and answer.

Why?

It could be a way to create a zero- or low-carbon route between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.

In Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?, I discussed, what might happen if the Birmingham to Manchester leg of High Speed Two were to be scrapped.

This was my main conclusion.

I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.

As the current Holyhead services will pass this junction between the Trent Valley Line and High Speed Two, there is no reason, why they couldn’t take High Speed Two to and from London, if the service was run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.

These are further thoughts.

Timings

These would be the times in hours:minutes.

  • Bangor – 2:42
  • Chester – 1:28
  • Holyhead – 3:10
  • Llandudno Junction – 2:24

Currently, Holyhead is three hours and forty-five minutes.

Would the Electrification Be Full Or Partial Between Crewe And Holyhead?

This question will be increasingly asked about electrification.

Consider.

  • CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler are all developing battery-electric technology for trains.
  • The UK’s first battery-electric train service goes into service tomorrow between Liverpool and Headbolt Lane station.
  • Freight locomotives are increasingly being ordered with both electric and diesel power.
  • Some of the castles, countryside and other monuments wouldn’t be enhanced, with lots of overhead electrification.

I think it is likely, that electrification will increasingly have gaps for visual, technical or heritage reasons.

Electrification of the North Wales Coast Line with other small improvements could probably reduce the journey time between London and Holyhead to around three hours.

Would There Be Enough Paths On The Trent Valley Line And High Speed Two?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. There are a total of 23 train paths of which eleven would need to go along the Trent Valley Line.
  4. The three London-Manchester services and the two Birmingham-Manchester services would have to be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  5. The second Liverpool train is only a single train, but it could be a pair, that split at Crewe, with one train going to Liverpool and the other to Chester and North Wales.
  6. All the Avanti West Coast services, currently using the Trent Valley Line would probably be replaced by High Speed Two services.

There would have to be a bit of reorganising, but I suspect an hourly path could be found for a train between London and Holyhead.

A Fast Green Route To The Emerald Isle

Electrification of the North Wales Coast Line with other small improvements could probably reduce the journey time between London and Holyhead to around three hours.

This service could be paired with a fast zero-carbon ferry to the island of Ireland?

Conclusion

I am fairly sure that an HS2 service to Holyhead could be run, once the North Wales Coast Line is electrified.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

I wrote this post before Rishi Sunak made his speech.

I went to Manchester and Liverpool yesterday by train.

I took the 10:33 from Euston and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Euston half a minute early.
  • It arrived at Stafford (133.5 miles) at 11:50 and left at 11:52.
  • It arrived at Crewe (158.0 miles) at 12:08 and left at 12.10.
  • It arrived at Wilmslow (176.9 miles) at 12:25 and left at 12:27.
  • It arrived at Stockport (183.0 miles) at 12:35 and left at 12:37.
  • It arrived in Manchester Piccadilly (188.9 miles) at 12:46.
  • It was two minutes late into Manchester and more or less on time at the other stops.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Colwich and Stafford.
  2. Euston and Manchester had been timetabled at two hours and eleven minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 86.5 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as one hour and fifty-four minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 99.4 mph.

Coming home, I took the 18:48 from Liverpool Lime Street and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Liverpool on time.
  • It arrived at Runcorn (13.2 miles) at 18:58 and left at 19:02.
  • It arrived at Crewe (35.8 miles) at 19:26 and left at 19:28.
  • It arrived at Milton Keynes (143.8 miles) at 20:27 and left at 20:29.
  • It arrived in Euston (183.6 miles) at 21:00.
  • It was five minutes late into Crewe and two minutes early at Euston.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Stafford, Colwich, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Nuneaton.
  2. Liverpool and Euston had been timetabled at two hours and twenty minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 78.7 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as two hours and three minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 89.6 mph.

This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.

  • The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
  • The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
  • This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.

London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two  times on the route could be very fast.

This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between High Speed Two’s two Birmingham stations and Lichfield.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phases 1 and 2a are shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. At the top of the map, can be seen the junction, where High Speed Two to the North splits, that was shown in the previous map.
  4. The large blue dot in the West at the bottom of the map, is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
  5. The other large blue dot is Birmingham International station.
  6. The three sections of High Speed Two to London, Birmingham Curzon Street and the North meet at a triangular junction between the two Birmingham stations.
  7. High Speed Two to the East Midlands, branches off to the East North of the triangular junction.

This third map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between Lichfield and Crewe.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, where at the South end of the orange section.
  4. The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the new tracks of High Speed Two.
  6. The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  7. The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.

These are a few thoughts and questions.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And London?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to go between the two Birmingham stations and then head South,

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to turn North and then take one of the two routes to the North; High Speed Two or Trent Valley Line/West Coast Main Line.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North If High Speed Two Between Birmingham And The North Is Scrapped?

If High Speed Two is scrapped from the Northern point of the triangular junction to the North, there will be no way that trains could go North from Birmingham Curzon Street.

  • The overcrowded Birmingham New Street station will still be the link to the North of England and Scotland for Birmingham.
  • How would trains connect to the future branch to East Midlands Parkway, which connects just North of the triangular junction?

I suspect that a short stub will be built North of the triangular junction to connect to the Trent Valley Line, which is currently, the main route of trains between London and the North through the West Midlands, for trains that don’t go through Birmingham.

Trains Between London And Stafford

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.

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

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

Note.

That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.

High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.

How Many Avanti West Coast Services Use The Trent Valley Line?

These trains use the Trent Valley Line.

  • London and Holyhead – 8 tpd
  • London and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph, which is planned to increase to 2 tph
  • London and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph
  • London and Blackpool North – 1 tpd
  • London and Glasgow – 1 tph

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day
  2. tph is trains per hour

This is roughly six tph.

Would It Be Possible To Finish High Speed Two At The Lichfield Junction And Connect It To The Trent Valley Line?

This is a repeat of the first map.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

If the Eastern branch North from the junction were to be scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via Stafford.

As all these tracks are planned and must be at an advanced stage, that is ready for construction, I feel the route would be feasible.

It would have these benefits.

  • Birmingham Curzon Street services and the North-West of England and the West of Scotland would be possible.
  • Services between London and Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, than they are now.
  • Time savings will also apply to services from London to Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and all stations between Crewe and Glasgow.

The capacity of the Trent Valley Line would be the limiting factor.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Preston

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, these will be the fastest times to Crewe and Preston.

  • Crewe – 0:56
  • Preston 1:18

Note.

  1. The fastest Preston service runs non-stop between Euston and Preston.
  2. Crewe and Preston are 51 miles apart.

A time of 22 minutes between Crewe and Preston, means the average speed is 139 mph.

Does this mean that High Speed Two will improve between Crewe and Preston to allow 140 mph non-stop running?

But 22 minutes is certainly an improvement on the current time between Crewe and Preston for Scottish trains of 40 minutes.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Liverpool

The upgrading of the line between might save another couple of minutes between Crewe and Weaver junction.

What Times Would Be Possible Via High Speed Two And The Trent Valley Line?

These times are based on the following.

  • The twenty-two minute saving to Stafford, as all High Speed Two services to the North-West of England and the West of Scotland will go via Phase 1 of High Speed Two and Stafford.
  • A saving of eighteen minutes will be applied to Scottish services because of savings between Crewe and Preston.

This would give these times in hours:minutes.

  • Blackpool – 2:10
  • Carlisle – 2:35
  • Chester – 1:28
  • Crewe – 1:08
  • Glasgow – 3:50
  • Holyhead – 3:10
  • Lancaster – 2:03
  • Liverpool Lime Street – 1:41
  • Llandudno Junction – 2:24
  • Macclesfield – 1:30
  • Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe – 1:52
  • Oxenholme – 1:54
  • Preston – 1:46
  • Runcorn 1:31
  • Stafford – 0:55
  • Stockport – 1:35
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10
  • Warrington – 1:22
  • Wigan 1:33
  • Wilmslow – 1:25

I have calculated extra services to Blackpool and North Wales.

Adding The Lichfield And Crewe Section

Consider.

  • My calculations indicate that London and Crewe will take 1:08.
  •  The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, gives the fastest time to Crewe as 0:56.

This indicates that adding the section of High Speed Two between Lichfield and Crewe will save a further twelve minutes.

Conclusion

I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.

There are certainly savings to be made.

See Also

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

High Speed Two To Lancaster

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

The Current Lancaster Service

I shall look at the 07:30 train on the 29th September 2023.

  • It was a nine-car Class 390 train or Pendolino, which left on time.
  • Euston and Lancaster are 230 miles apart.
  • The train passed Crewe at 09:59
  • The train arrived at Warrington Bank Quay at 09:14 and left at 09:15.
  • The train arrived at Wigan North Western at 09:25 and left at 09:26.
  • The train arrived at Preston at 09:39 and left at 09:41.
  • The train arrived at Lancaster at 09:55 and left at 09:57.
  • The journey took two hours and 25 minutes
  • The average speed was 95.2 mph.
  • There is at least one train per hour (tph).

Lancaster Will Get Its Own High Speed Two Service

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Lancaster and Liverpool share a pair of High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, that will split and join at Crewe.
  2. The Lancaster service will stop at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston, to the North of Crewe.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times for trains from London after Phase 2a opens to Crewe.

  • Crewe – 56 minutes
  • Warrington Bank Quay – One hour and 20 minutes
  • Wigan North Western – One hour and 34 minutes
  • Preston – One hour and 18 minutes
  • Lancaster – Two hours and 3 minutes
  • Oxenholme – One hour and 56 minutes
  • Carlisle – Two hours and 23 minutes

Note.

  1. The Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Lancaster times will apply to the direct Lancaster service.
  2. The Preston and Carlisle times apply to the non-stop Scottish service.
  3. Oxenholme will be reached with a change from London.
  4. Currently, Pendolinos travel between Crewe and Lancaster in an hour or a few minutes less.

I feel the Lancaster time is suspect and a better time would be around one hour and 52-56 minutes.

140 Mph Running Between Crewe And Preston

Consider.

  • London Euston and Crewe is 56 minutes
  • One hour and 18 minutes to Preston infers a time of 22 minutes between Crewe and Preston.
  • Crewe and Preston is 51 miles.

This implies an average speed of 139 mph.

As the West Coast Main Line was built for 140 mph, when digital signalling was installed, this would appear to be feasible, once the signalling is upgraded.

It may also mean, that faster times are possible in services to Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.

Crewe And Warrington Bank Quay

Consider.

  • The distance is 24.1 miles
  • HS2 will take 24 minutes with one acceleration and one deceleration, which probably take a maximum of 4 minutes in total.
  • I explain the four minutes in High Speed Two To Crewe.

This gives an average speed of 72.3 mph.

Warrington Bank Quay And Wigan North Western

Consider.

  • The distance is 11.7 miles
  • HS2 will take 14 minutes with one acceleration and one deceleration, which probably take a maximum of 4 minutes in total.

This gives an average speed of 70.2 mph.

Wigan North Western And Lancaster

Consider.

  • The distance is 36.1 miles
  • HS2 will take 29 minutes with two accelerations and two decelerations, which probably take a maximum of 8 minutes in total.
  • I will also allow a minute for the dwell time at Preston.

This gives an average speed of 108.3 mph.

Crewe And Lancaster

Consider.

  • The distance is 72 miles
  • HS2 will take 67 minutes with four accelerations and four decelerations, which probably take a maximum of 16 minutes in total.
  • I will also allow a minute for the dwell times at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan and Preston.

This gives an average speed of 90.6 mph.

I now feel happier about two hours and three minutes between London and Lancaster.

Conclusion

The West Coast Main Line needs upgrading to full in-cab digital signalling as soon as possible.

Once working it would give journey time savings for everybody travelling on the line.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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