Platform Canopies To Be Renovated For Passengers At Lancaster Station
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Network Rail.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Station platform canopies are being renovated at Lancaster to improve passenger journeys on the West Coast Main Line.
Network Rail is investing £9.5m to restore and upgrade the station building for the future.
This picture from Network Rail shows an aerial view of the station.
Note that the camera is looking South.
This picture shows the current canopies.
Network Rail can surely do better on a Grade II Listed Building.
The press release lists that this work will be done.
- Replacing all glazing in the platform canopies
- Repairing and strengthening the structure of the canopy structures
- Repainting across the station
The press release says the work won’t affect train services, but will be done when trains aren’t running.
These are my thoughts.
Lancaster Station and High Speed Two
Lancaster station will be a terminus on the High Speed Two Network.
Note.
- Train 4 , which is a pair of 200 metre High Speed Classic Compatible trains, leaves London Euston and splits at Crewe, with one train going to Liverpool Lime Street and the other to Lancaster.
- Train 12, which runs between Birmingham Curzon Street and Scotland, also calls at Lancaster.
Both trains will be single 200 metre High Speed Classic Compatible trains at Lancaster station and platforms 3, 4 and 5 can handle them.
But how will the Lancaster train terminate?
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines through Lancaster station.
Note.
- The red lines are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- In the North-West corner of the station are the bay platforms 1 and 2, which handle Morecambe services.
- West Coast Main Line services between London Euston and Scotland, go through platforms 3 and 4 in the middle of the station.
- On the East side of the station is platform 5 which is on a loop off the West Coast Main Line.
I would expect that the London Euston and Lancaster service will generally terminate in platform 5.
Wikipedia says this about platform 5 and the signalling.
Platform 5, which can be used by both northbound and southbound trains or by terminating services.
All platforms are signalled for arrivals and departures in either direction.
That all sounds very convenient.
There may be some minor changes for the longer High Speed Two trains, but I doubt it would be too challenging.
Onward To Morecambe
The Eden Project North at Morecambe could attract a lot of traffic.
- Lancaster will be just two hours and three minutes from London by High Speed Two.
- There are numerous rail connections from Lancaster to all over the North of England and Scotland.
- Would you drive for two hours to the Eden Project North, if there was a convenient and quicker train?
- Train companies may offer combined tickets for the attraction with rail tickets.
Wikipedia says this about the development and opening of the attraction.
Having been granted planning permission in January 2022 and with £50 million of levelling-up funding granted in January 2023, it is due to open in 2024 and predicted to benefit the North West economy by £200 million per year.
I’ve always wanted to go to the Eden Project in Cornwall, but it’s difficult if you don’t drive.
However, I might manage to get to Eden Project North.
Trains between Morecambe and Lancaster are at least hourly.
- I think they can use any platform at Lancaster.
- Morecambe station has two platforms.
- Morecambe and Lancaster stations are four miles apart, with probably half electrified.
- A battery-electric train could work between Morecambe and Lancaster.
I can envisage two main ways to arrange the connection between Morecambe and Lancaster.
- Trains arrive in Lancaster and passengers for Morecambe catch the next Morecambe train for two stops, that take ten minutes.
- When High Speed Two serves Lancaster from Euston, the shuttle train can wait in the Northern end of Platform 5 and when the High Speed Two train arrives passengers can just walk up the platform to the shuttle.
But if the Eden Project North is as successful as the Cornish original, there is going to be a need for more trains between Morecambe and Lancaster.
This Google Map shows Morecambe station.
Note that the island platform is probably about 160 metres long.
This would accommodate.
- A five-car Class 802 or Class 805 train.
- A pair of four-car Class 319, Class 321 trains.
- A pair of three-car Class 331 trains.
But why not be bold and lengthen at least one platform to the full two hundred metres, so that it can accommodate a High Speed Classic Compatible train?
This would also accommodate.
- A seven-car Class 807 train.
- A pair of four-car Class 331 trains.
All of these electric trains would need the Morecambe branch line to be electrified to Morecambe station.
But the Eden Project North would get the public transport access it needs.
Electrifying To Morecambe
This map from OpenRailwayMap, shows the Morecambe Branch Line between the West Coast Main Line and Morecambe station.
Note.
- The tracks shown in red on the Eastern side of the map are the West Coast Main Line.
- The black lines are the unelectrified tracks of the Morecambe branch line.
- Morecambe station is marked by the blue arrow.
- Much of the Morecambe branch line is single track, with some sections of double track.
- The distance between the West Coast Main Line and Morecambe station is around 2.1 miles.
I don’t think it would be the most challenging of electrifications.
A Green Route To The Isle Of Man And Ireland
This map from OpenRailwayMap, shows the terminal of the Morecambe Branch Line at Heysham Port.
Note.
- There is a rail connection to the West Coast Main Line via Morecambe, which is shown in yellow.
- The port appears to have three berths for ferries.
- There are only a couple of train services per day.
- South of the port is the Heysham nuclear power station, which has a capacity of 2.5 GW.
At a first glance, it would appear, that a rail-served passenger terminal could be built close to the port.
I suspect most passengers using Heysham are travelling with a vehicle.
The problem is also that the ferry crossing to Belfast takes around eight hours and there are faster and more convenient routes.
The ferries could be decarbonised by using ammonia or hydrogen fuel, but I doubt that they would be any faster.
I suspect that getting more passengers to use Heysham for the Isle of Man or Ireland will be a difficult proposition to sell to passengers.
And it is made even more difficult with such an infrequent train service.
Before High Speed Two
Avanti West Coast might like to run a train between Euston and Morecambe for the Eden Project North.
Could A Battery-Electric High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train Be Developed?
A Battery-Electric High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train, would not be needed for High Speed Two, as it is currently envisaged, as all lines will be electrified.
But Hitachi have already said that they are developing the Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train, which is described in this infographic.
This page on the Hitachi Rail web site gives this description of the Hybrid Battery Train.
A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. A retrofit programme would involve removing diesel engines and replace with batteries.
Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train, this ensures trains can be returned to service as quickly as possible for passengers. Adding a battery reduces fuel costs up to 30% or increase performance.
These trains will be able to enter, alight and leave non–electrified stations in battery mode reducing diesel emissions and minimising noise – helping to improve air quality and make train stations a cleaner environment for passengers.
Our battery solution complements electrification, connecting gaps and minimising potential infrastructure costs and disruption to service.
It looks to me, that Hitachi are playing an old Electrical/Electronic Engineer’s trick.
As a sixteen-year-old, I spent a Summer in a rolling mills, building replacement transistorised control units for the old electronic valve units. They had been designed, so they were plug-compatible and performed identically.
It appears, that Hitachi’s battery supplier; Hyperdrive Innovation of Sunderland has just designed a battery pack, that appears to the train to be a diesel engine.
In the Technical Outline, this is said.
- Train Configuration: 5 – 12 car
- Nominal Vehicle Length: 26m
- Power Supply: Battery
The AT-300 trains generally have twenty-six metre cars.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 Or 100 mph?, I calculated that a Class 801 train uses 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile, at 125 mph.
- This means that a five-car train will use 1710 kWh to do 100 miles at 125 mph.
- The train has three diesel engines, so three batteries of 570 kWh would be needed.
- Alternatively, if a battery was put in each car, 342 kWh batteries would be needed.
- In the Wikipedia entry for battery-electric multiple unit, there are two examples of trains with 360 kWh batteries.
I believe building 570 kWh batteries for fitting under the train is possible.
What would be the maximum range for this train at 100 mph?
- I will assume that five batteries are fitted.
- As drag is proportional to the square of the speed, I’ll use a figure of 2.07 kWh per vehicle mile, at 100 mph.
This is a table of ranges with different size batteries in all cars.
- 50 kWh – 24.1 miles
- 100 kWh – 48.3 miles
- 200 kWh – 96.6 miles
- 300 kWh – 145 miles
- 400 kWh – 193.2 miles
- 500 kWh – 241.5 miles
They are certainly useful ranges.
LNER Will Be Ordering Ten New Bi-Mode Trains
In LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes, I discussed LNER’s need for ten new bi-mode trains, which started like this.
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the December 2020 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the opening paragraph.
LNER has launched the procurement of at least 10 new trains to supplement its Azuma fleet on East Coast Main Line services.
Some other points from the article.
- It appears that LNER would like to eliminate diesel traction if possible.
- On-board energy storage is mentioned.
- No form of power appears to be ruled out, including hydrogen.
- LNER have all 65 of their Azumas in service.
I believe that ten trains would be enough to handle LNER’s services on lines without electrification to the North of Scotland.
- London and Aberdeen has 130 miles without wires.
- London and Inverness has 146 miles without wires.
- Electrification plans are progressing North to Perth and to Thornton Junction.
I suspect both routes could be upgraded to under a hundred miles without wires.
I believe, that if Hyperdrive Innovation pull out every trick in the book to save power in their batteries that a five-car Azuma with a 300 kWh battery in each car, will have sufficient range with reserves to go between Edinburgh and Inverness or Aberdeen at 100 mph.
A Battery-Electric High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train
Consider.
- I am a great believer in regenerative breaking to batteries on the train, as my experience says it the most efficient and also gives advantages, when the catenary fails.
- Stadler’s approach with the Class 777 train, where all trains have a small battery for depot movements, is likely to be increasingly copied by other train manufacturers.
- Hitachi have also designed the Class 803 trains for Lumo with emergency batteries for hotel power.
I could envisage provision for batteries being designed into a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train.
Suppose it was wanted to run High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains between Crewe and Holyhead.
- The train has eight cars.
- The route is 105.5 miles.
- I will assume an average speed of 100 mph.
- A Class 801 train uses 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile, at 125 mph.
- As drag is proportional to the square of the speed, I’ll use a figure of 2.07 kWh per vehicle mile, at 100 mph.
- This means that an eight-car train will use 1747.08 kWh to do 105.5 miles at 100 mph.
- I would put a traction battery in each car, to distribute the weight easily.
Each battery would need to be 218.4 kWh, which is totally feasible.
How far would the train travel on 300 kWh batteries at 100 mph?
- Total battery capacity is 2400 kWh.
- One mile will use 16.56 kWh.
- I am assuming the train is using regenerative braking to the battery at each stop.
The train will travel 145 miles before needing a recharge.
On the Crewe and Holyhead route, there would be a reserve of around 40 miles or nearly 500 kWh.
Conclusion
I am convinced that Hitachi and their highly regarded partner; Hyperdrive Innovation, have developed a battery pack, that gives enough power to match the performance of Class 800/802/805/810 trains on diesel and give a range of upwards of a hundred miles on battery power at 100 mph, if you put a 300 kWh battery pack in all cars.
- But then Stadler have run an Akku for 115 miles and a Class 777 for 84 miles on battery power alone.
- I think the key is to put a battery in each car and harvest all the electricity you can from braking.
- Remember too that Hitachi can raise and lower their pantographs with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers, so strategic lengths of overhead electrification can also be erected.
Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation appear to have invented the High Speed Battery Train.
We’ll know soon, when the order for the LNER bi-modes is announced.
Whatever works on LNER, should work on High Speed Two.
Should There Be Five-Car High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains?
The High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains have the following characteristics.
- Eight cars.
- 200 metres long.
- 550 passengers.
- Two can be coupled together to make a 16-car train, that is 400 metres long.
- Trains can join and split en route.
This graphic shows the preliminary schedule.
Note that Train 4, starts as a pair of trains, before splitting at Crewe, with one train going to Lancaster and the other to Liverpool Lime Street.
I wonder, if some trains were to be five-cars, would this give the operator more flexibility, by allowing three trains to be coupled together to serve three destinations.
This could be a simple example.
- A three train formation could leave Euston.
- At Crewe one train would detach and go to Liverpool Lime Street, with stops at Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway.
- At Preston, the two remaining trains would split, with one train going to Lancaster and the other going to Blackpool with appropriate stops.
Three trains might give the operators more flexibility in providing appropriate capacity to various destinations.
Other Applications
I believe these trains would have other applications.
These are a few thoughts.
Battery-Electric High Speed Train
Battery technology is improving and I believe that a train could be designed with the following specification.
- Five cars
- High-Speed Two Classic-Compatible performance.
- A battery pack in each car.
- Up to maximum operating speed of digitally-signalled high speed lines.
- 140 mph on digitally-signalled classic high speed lines, like the East and West Coast Main Lines. the Midland Main Line and the Great Western Railway.
- Range on battery of around 120 miles at 100 mph.
- Ability to work with fully-electric versions.
Note.
- I suspect that like current Hitachi AT-300s and Bombardier Aventras, the onboard computer would know what cars have been coupled together and what the train can do.
- A battery in each car would distribute the extra weight of the batteries equally and not affect the handling too much.
- These trains would allow High Speed Two services to be extended onto non-electrified lines.
I suspect that an eight car battery-electric High-Speed Two Classic-Compatible train would also be possible for working with the standard length trains.
Thoughts On High Speed Two
These are a few thoughts about High Speed Two, after the reports of major changes today.
This article on the BBC is entitled HS2 Line Between Birmingham And Crewe Delayed By Two Years.
This is the sub-heading.
The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.
These are the three opening paragraphs.
Some of the design teams working on the Euston end of the line are also understood to be affected.
Transport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said it was “committed” to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.
HS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost £33bn but is now expected to be £71bn.
Delivering The Benefits Of High Speed Two Early
It is my belief that with a large project taking a decade or more , it is not a bad idea to deliver some worthwhile benefits early on.
The Elizabeth Line opened in stages.
- The new Class 345 trains started replacing scrapyard specials in 2017.
- The rebuilt Abbey Wood station opened in 2017.
- Paddington local services were transferred to the Elizabeth Line in 2019.
- Outer stations reopened regularly after refurbishment from 2018.
- The through line opened in May 2022.
There’s still more to come.
Some projects wait until everything is ready and everybody gets fed up and annoyed.
Are there any parts of High Speed Two, that could be completed early, so that existing services will benefit?
In 2020, the refurbishment of Liverpool Lime Street station and the tracks leading to the station was completed and I wrote about the station in It’s A Privilege To Work Here!, where this was my conclusion.
Wikipedia says this about Liverpool Lime Street station.
Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world.
I’ve used Lime Street station for fifty-five years and finally, it is the station, the city needs and deserves.
I’ve been to grand termini all over the world and Lime Street may be the oldest, but now it is one of the best.
Are there any stations, that will be served by High Speed Two, that should be upgraded as soon as possible to give early benefits to passengers, staff and operators?
Avanti West Cost have solved the problem of the short platforms at Liverpool South Parkway station, by ordering shorter Class 807 trains. Will High Speed Two lengthen the platforms at this station?
A good project manager will need to get all the smaller sub-projects in a row and work out what is the best time to do each.
Digital Signalling
I would assume, as this will be needed for High Speed Two services in the West Coast Main Line to the North of Crewe, this is surely a must for installing as early as possible.
If the existing trains could run for a hundred miles at 140 mph, rather than the current 125 mph, that would save five worthwhile minutes.
Trains could run closer together and there is the possibility of organising services in flights, where a number of trains run together a safe number of minutes apart.
Remove Bottlenecks On Classic Lines, That Could Be Used By High Speed Two
I don’t know the bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line, but there are two on the East Coast Main Line, that I have talked about in the past.
Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?
Improving The North Throat Of York Station Including Skelton Bridge Junction
Hopefully, the digital signalling will solve them.
Any bottlenecks on lines that will be part of High Speed Two, should be upgraded as soon as possible.
Birmingham And Crewe
I will start by looking at the leg between Birmingham and Crewe.
This section of the HS2 map shows High Speed Two between Birmingham and Lichfield.
Note.
- The blue circle on the left at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
- The blue circle on the right at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Interchange station.
- The High Speed Two to and from London passes through Birmingham Interchange station.
- The branch to Birmingham Curzon Street station connects to the main High Speed Two at a triangular junction.
- North of the triangular junction, High Speed Two splits.
- The Eastern branch goes to East Midlands Parkway station.
- The Northern branch goes to Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.
At the top of the map, the Northern branch splits and lines are shown on this map.
Note.
- The junction where the Northern and Eastern branches divide is in the South-East corner of the map.
- To the North of Lichfield, the route divides again.
- The Northern purple line is the direct line to Crewe.
- The shorter Southern branch is a spur that connects High Speed Two to the Trent Valley Line, which is the current route taken by trains between London Euston and Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.
- Crewe station is in the North-West corner of the map.
The route between the junction to the North of Lichfield and Crewe is essentially two double-track railways.
- High Speed Two with a routine operating speed of 205 mph.
- The Trent Valley Line with a routine operating speed of 140 mph.
- High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains can run on all tracks.
- High Speed Two Full-Size trains may be able to run on the Trent Valley Line at reduced speed.
- Eighteen trains per hour (tph) is the maximum frequency of High Speed Two.
I feel in an emergency, trains will be able to use the other route.
Will This Track Layout Allow An Innovative Build?
Suppose the link to the Trent Valley Line was built first, so that High Speed Two trains from London for Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland, could transfer to the Trent Valley Line as they do now.
- All lines used by High Speed Two services North of the junction, where High Speed Two joins the Trent Valley Line would be updated with digital signalling and 140 mph running. This will benefit current services on the line. For instance Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services could be under two hours.
- The current services would be replaced by High Speed Two services run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- The direct High Speed Two route between Lichfield and Crewe would now be built.
- When this section of High Speed Two is complete, High Speed Two services would use it between Lichfield and Crewe.
- As the direct route would be built later, this would delay the building of the Birmingham and Crewe high-speed route.
Currently, trains run the 41.8 miles between Lichfield and Crewe in 28 minutes, which is an average speed of 89.6 mph.
I can build a table of average speeds and times for Lichfield and Crewe.
- 100 mph – 25.1 minutes – 2.9 minutes saving
- 110 mph – 22.8 minutes – 5.2 minutes saving
- 120 mph – 20.9 minutes – 7.1 minutes saving
- 125 mph – 20.1 minutes – 7.9 minutes saving
- 130 mph – 19.3 minutes – 8.7 minutes saving
- 140 mph – 17.9 minutes – 10.1 minutes saving
- 160 mph – 15.7 minutes – 12.3 minutes saving
- 180 mph – 13.9 minutes – 14.1 minutes saving
- 200 mph – 12.5 minutes – 15.5 minutes saving
Note.
- Even a slight increase in average speed creates several minutes saving.
- Times apply for both routes.
I believe that a 125 mph average should be possible on the Trent Valley route, which may be enough for Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services to be under two hours.
Improving Classic Lines Used By High Speed Two North Of Lichfield
Real Time Trains shows these figures for a Glasgow Central to Euston service.
- Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley is 298.2 miles.
- Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley takes five hours.
This is an average speed of 59.6 mph.
Note.
- The average speed is low considering the trains are capable of cruising at 125 mph and 140 mph with digital signalling.
- High Speed Two services between Euston and Glasgow will use the classic network, to the North of Lichfield.
I can build a table of average speeds and times for Glasgow and Lichfield.
- 100 mph – 179 minutes – 121 minutes saving
- 110 mph – 163 minutes – 157 minutes saving
- 120 mph – 149 minutes – 151 minutes saving
- 125 mph – 143 minutes – 157 minutes saving
- 130 mph – 138 minutes – 162 minutes saving
- 140 mph – 128 minutes – 172 minutes saving
This table illustrates why it is important to improve all or as many as possible of classic lines used by High Speed Two to enable 140 mph running, with full digital signalling. Obviously, if 140 mph is not feasible, the speed should be increased to the highest possible.
Routes that could be updated include.
- London Euston and Glasgow Central
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly (all routes)
- London Euston and Blackpool
- London Euston and Holyhead
- London Euston and Shrewsbury
Not all these routes will be served by High Speed Two, but they could be served by 140 mph trains.
What Times Would Be Possible?
The InterCity 225 was British Rail’s ultimate electric train and these two paragraphs from its Wikipedia entry, describe its performance.
The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991. British regulations have since required in-cab signalling on any train running at speeds above 125 mph (201 km/h) preventing such speeds from being legally attained in regular service. Thus, except on High Speed 1, which is equipped with cab signalling, British signalling does not allow any train, including the InterCity 225, to exceed 125 mph (201 km/h) in regular service, due to the impracticality of correctly observing lineside signals at high speed.
The InterCity 225 has also operated on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). In April 1992, one trainset achieved a new speed record of two hours, eight minutes between Manchester and London Euston, shaving 11 minutes off the 1966 record. During 1993, trials were operated to Liverpool and Manchester in connection with the InterCity 250 project.
- The fastest London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly services appear to be two hours and six minutes tomorrow, with stops at Nuneaton and Stoke-on-Trent.
- The fastest London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service is four hours seventeen minutes tomorrow.
It does appear that British Rail’s 1980s-vintage InterCity 225 train did very well.
Trains that would be able to run at 140 mph with updated signalling include.
- Alstom Class 390
- Hitachi Class 800, 801, 802, 803, 805, 807 and 810
- British Rail InterCity 225
- High Speed Two Classic-Compatible.
All are electric trains.
Could High Speed Two, West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line Services Be Run By High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains?
I don’t see why not!
- They would be able to use short stretches of High Speed Line like Lichfield and Crewe.
- LNER and CrossCountry could also use the trains.
- High Speed Two is providing the framework and it’s there to be used, provided the paths are available.
This graphic shows the preliminary schedule.
It only shows ten trains going through Crewe, so there could be up to eight spare high speed paths between Birmingham and Crewe.
Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The East Coast Main Line?
I published this extract from the Wikipedia entry for the InterCity 225 earlier.
The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991.
The London and Edinburgh run was at an average speed of around 112 mph.
I wonder what time, one of LNER’s Class 801 trains, that are all-electric could do, once the new digital signalling has been fully installed on the route? I suspect it would be close to three hours, but it would depend on how long the trains could run at 140 mph.
It should be noted that the Selby Diversion was designed for 160 mph, when it was built by British Rail in the 1980s.
In Are Short Lengths Of High Speed Line A Good Idea?, I look at the mathematics of putting in short lengths of new railway, which have higher speeds, where this was part of my conclusion.
I very much feel there is scope to create some new high speed sections on the current UK network, with only building very little outside of the current land used by the network.
I would love to know what some of Network Rail’s track experts feel is the fastest time possible between London and Edinburgh that can be achieved, by selective upgrading of the route.
If some of the trains were High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, with a top speed of 205 mph, provided the track allowed it, there could be some interesting mathematics balancing the costs of track upgrades, new trains with what passengers and operators need in terms of journey times.
Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The West Coast Main Line?
Much of what I said about the East Coast Main Line would apply to the West Coast Main Line.
But in addition, the West Coast Main Line will be a superb place to test the new High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
I believe, that before High Speed Two opens, we’ll see High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, carrying passengers between Euston and Avanti West Coast’s destinations.
Could High Speed Two Be Split Into Two?
Consider.
- Under earlier plans, the East Coast Main Line to the North of York, will be used by High Speed Two.
- With digital signalling the East Coast Main Line will support continuous running at 140 mph for long sections of the route.
- The East Coast Main Line has a recently-rebuilt large Southern terminal at King’s Cross with eleven platforms and good suburban services and excellent connections to the London Underground.
- The East Coast Main Line has a very large Northern terminal at Edinburgh Waverley with twenty platforms and good local train connections.
- There are large intermediate stations on the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough and York. All these stations have good local train connections.
- The East Coast Main Line has important branches to Cambridge, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull King’s Lynn, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Scarborough, Sheffield, Skegness and Sunderland.
We are talking about an asset, that needs improving rather than sidelining.
Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?
Over three years ago, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project? and tried to answer the question in the title.
But now the core network is better defined, perhaps it is time to look at extending the High Speed network again.
The next few sections look at possible extensions.
Serving Chester And North Wales
I looked at this in Could High Speed Two Trains Serve Chester And North Wales?, which I have updated recently.
This was my conclusion.
It looks to me, that when High Speed Two, think about adding extra destinations, Chester and Holyhead could be on the list.
I also suspect that even without electrification and High Speed Two services, but with the new Class 805 trains, the route could be a valuable one for Avanti West Coast.
These are current and promised times for the two legs to Holyhead.
- Euston and Crewe – 90 minutes – Fastest Class 390 train
- Euston and Crewe – 55 minutes – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train from Wikipedia
- Crewe and Holyhead – 131 minutes – Fastest Class 221 train
- Crewe and Holyhead – 70 minutes – 90 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 63 minutes – 100 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 57 minutes – 110 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 53 minutes – 120 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 45 minutes – 140 mph average speed
Note.
- I have assumed that Crewe and Holyhead is 105.5 miles.
- The operating speed of the North Wales Coast Line is 90 mph.
- In the following estimates, I have assumed a change of train at Crewe, takes 6 minutes.
I think there are several options to run fast services to Chester and North Wales.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- The fastest Class 221 train between Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 3 hours 41 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and some track improvement
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 110 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 27 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead uprated largely to 125 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 120 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 23 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 15 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- The fastest Class 221 train between Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 3 hours 12 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and some track improvement
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 110 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 58 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead uprated largely to 125 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 120 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 54 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 46 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 40 minutes.
From these estimates, I have come to these conclusions.
- A sub-two and a half-hour service can be attained with the new Class 805 trains and some improvements to the tracks along the North Wales Coast Line.
- A sub-two hour service can be attained with a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe and a Class 805 train to Hplyhead along a 140 mph electrified North Wales Coast Line.
- If the North Wales Coast Line is electrified, the journey from London Euston, Birmingham Interchange, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester would be zero-carbon.
We should be looking to building a zero-carbon fast passenger ferry for sailing between Holyhead and Dublin.
- The current fastest ferries appear to take three hours and 15 minutes, which means that a six-hour low-carbon journey between London Euston and Dublin, should be possible with the new Class 805 trains, prior to the opening of High Speed Two.
- A five-hour journey after the opening of High Speed Two to Crewe and electrification of the North Wales Coast Line should be possible.
If the advanced zero-carbon ferry could knock an hour off the journey, four hours between London and Dublin along a spectacular coastal railway with a fast sea voyage, would be a route that would attract passengers.
- High Speed Two would need to be opened to Crewe.
- The North Wales Coast Line would need to be upgraded to a 140 mph digitally-signalled line.
- The North Wales Coast Line would need to be electrified.
- Full electrification may not be needed, as discontinuous electrification will have advanced to provide zero-carbon running, in a more affordable and less disruptive manner.
- Trains could either be High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains all the way from London or there could be a change at Crewe to Class 805 trains.
- The ferry would use the best zero-carbon and operational technology.
The improvement and electrification of the North Wales Coast Line could be planned to take place in a relaxed manner, so that journey times continuously got quicker.
I would start the improvement of the North Wales Coast Line, as soon as possible, as all these improvement will be used to advantage by the new Class 805 trains.
Serving West And South West England And South Wales
Suppose you want to go between Glasgow and Cardiff by train, after High Speed Two has opened.
- You will take one of the half-hourly High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains between Glasgow Central and London.
- Three and a half-hours later, you will get off the train in one of the below ground platforms at Old Oak Common station.
- A short ride in an escalator or lift and you will be in the Great Western Railway station at ground level.
- From here, fifty minutes later, you will be in Cardiff.
The journey will have taken four hours and twenty minutes.
This may seem a long time but currently Glasgow and Cardiff by train takes over seven hours by train.
- Glasgow and Bristol Temple Meads takes eight hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 5 hours.
- Glasgow and Cheltenham Spa takes six hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 5 hours and 30 minutes.
- Glasgow and Penzance takes twelve hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 8 hours and 33 minutes.
- Glasgow and Swansea takes nearly nine hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 6 hours and 9 minutes.
The High Speed Two route only has one simple change, whereas some routes now have up to four changes.
Conclusion
TfL Considers Replacing Over Half Of London Overground Trains Within The Next 4 Years
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on MyLondon.
This is the sub-heading.
The trains were specially built for the dimensions of the Overground network
This paragraph outlines, why the trains may be replaced.
The 57 Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ trains which provide the majority of services on London Overground could disappear as soon as June 2027, as Transport for London (TfL) officials decide what to do with them as their leases expire. The five carriage walkthrough trains have helped revolutionise the Overground network, being built to special dimensions to fit the unique profile of the suburban routes they run on – notably the East London line, where trains use the narrow single-bore Thames Tunnels.
Note.
- The Class 378 trains, which I use regularly, still seem to be performing well!
- They could do with a lick of paint and a tidying up in places.
- Would it be too much to ask for power sockets and wi-fi?
- The other London Overground trains, the Class 710 trains can’t run through the Thames Tunnel on the East London Line, as they have no means to evacuate passengers in the tunnel in an emergency.
- More Class 378 trains are needed for the East London Line to increase services, but these can be obtained by transferring trains from the North London Line and replacing those with new Class 710 trains.
I live near the two Dalston stations on the London Overground and the thing we need most is more capacity.
I have some thoughts on London Overground’s future trains.
Increased Services On The Current Network
Plans exist to increase the frequency on various London Overground services and this graphic sums up what was planned a few years ago.
Note the extra two trains per hour (tph) between the following stations.
- Clapham Junction and Stratford
- Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace
- Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction
- Enfield Town and Liverpool St. via Seven Sisters
I think only Route 1 services have been increased.
I know signalling updates are holding up the extra trains on the East London Line, but are more trains needed to fully implement the extra services?
- Routes 2 and 3 services will need Class 378 trains because of the tunnel and these would be transferred from the North London Line.
- Route 4 would need Class 710 trains, as the service already uses them.
So there may be a need for more Class 710 trains.
West London Orbital Railway
The graphic doesn’t mention the West London Orbital Railway.
- There would be two routes between West Hampstead and Hounslow and Hendon and Kew Bridge using the Dudding Hill Line.
- The tracks already exist.
- Some new platforms and stations would be needed.
- The route would probably need improved signalling.
- Four tph on both routes would probably be possible.
- The West London Orbital Railway would connect to the Great Western Railway, the North London and Elizabeth Lines and High Speed Two at Old Oak Common station.
I believe it could be run by battery-electric versions of either the Class 378 or Class 710 trains. This would avoid electrification.
As some commentators have suggested that the West London Orbital Railway and the Gospel Oak and Barking Line would be connected, I would expect that new battery-electric Class 710 trains would be used.
Adding On-board Energy Storage To The Class 378 Trains
In Will London Overground Fit On-board Energy Storage To Class 378 Trains?, I asked whether it would be worthwhile.
I finished with these two sentences.
I have no idea how much electricity would be saved by regenerative braking on the London Overground, but various applications of regenerative braking technology talk of electricity savings of between ten and twenty percent.
I think it is only a matter of time before the technology is proven to be sufficiently reliable and the numbers add up correctly for the Class 378 trains to be fitted with on-board energy storage.
What would be the advantages from fitting on-board energy storage?
- There would be the savings of electricity by the use of regenerative braking to the batteries.
- Trains could be rescued from the Thames Tunnel, if there was a power failure.
- Hotel power would be maintained, if there was a power failure.
- Trains can be moved in depots and sidings without power.
- Trains would be able to move in the event of cable theft.
- Short route extensions might be possible.
- Could battery power be used to serve Euston during the rebuilding process for High Speed Two?
- Do Network Rail want to remove third-rail electrification from Euston station for safety or cost reasons?
There could be a saving in train operating costs.
We know the trains are coming up for a new lease.
Suppose the leasing company fitted them with new batteries and some other customer-friendly improvements like new seat covers, better displays, litter bins, power sockets and wi-fi.
- The leasing company would be able to charge more, as they have added value to the trains.
- TfL would be saving money due to less of an electricity bill.
- The passenger numbers might increase due to the extra customer-friendly features.
- Electrification might be removed from places where theft is a problem.
- Third-rail electrification could be removed from Euston station. It’s only 2.8 miles to South Hampstead station, where third-rail electrification already exists.
Get it right and passengers, TfL, Network Rail and the leasing company would all be winners.
Five New Railway Stations Considered For West Midlands
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This is the first paragraph.
Transport authorities in the West Midlands are considering the case for building five new stations at Balsall Heath, Coventry East (Binley), Foleshill, Castle Bromwich and Tettenhall.
The location of the stations is as follows.
- Balsall Heath station is on the Camp Hill Line and was formerly known as Brighton Road station, which was shut in 1941 as a wartime economy measure.
- Castle Bromwich station, will be between Birmingham and Water Orton.
- Coventry East station will be on the main line between Coventry and Rugby.
- Foleshill station will be on the Coventry-Nuneaton Line, between Coventry and Coventry Arena stations.
- Tettenhall station will be to the west of Wolverhampton on the Wolverhampton Shrewsbury Line.
Note.
- Balsall Heath station would require construction of the Bordesley Chords and extra capacity at Moor Street Station.
- Coventry East station will benefit from the opening of High Speed Two, will will allow more local services.
- Castle Bromwich station would also benefit from the extra capacity from High Speed Two and the Midland Rail Hub.
Railways in Central Birmingham appear to be having a big sort out.
The article also says this about other stations, being planned in the West Midlands.
These planned new stations will add to expansion of the region’s rail network that is already underway, with new stations being built on the Camp Hill line in south Birmingham at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road, and on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line serving Darlaston and Willenhall. A new station is also planned at Aldridge, with funding allocated subject to business case. The City of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire District and Staffordshire County councils have also looked at the case for a new station at Brinsford, which will be considered alongside the case for nearby Tettenhall Station.
In the last part of the article, Andy Street talks about the funding secured.
It certainly looks like station builders in the West Midlands will have lots of work to do.
Birmingham Plays The Green Card
This article in The Times today is entitled Birmingham Airport Set For Hydrogen Take-Off.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Birmingham Airport aims to become the first in Britain to operate commercial zero-emission hydrogen-fuelled flights — and by as early as 2025.
The ambitious goal follows the signing of a partnership with the British start-up ZeroAvia whose first trial flight of a 19-seater passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells took place last month.
Other points from the article include.
- ZeroAvia is also working with Rotterdam Airport.
- Initially, it is likely that the hydrogen-powered aircraft will be used for cargo.
- The government wants all UK domestic flights to be zero-carbon by 2040.
- Birmingham wants to be zero-carbon by 2033.
- ZeroAvia has received upwards of £20 million of matched-taxpayer funding.
- It has some big backers and well-known airlines, who have placed orders.
These are my thoughts.
ZeroAvia’s Airliners
This paragraph from The Times article describes their first two aircraft.
ZeroAvia is retrofitting turboprops, 19-seater Dornier and in future 80-seater De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s, with tanks of hydrogen which is converted by fuel cell stacks to energy taken to electric motors that power the propellers. The only emission is water. It is talking to potential new-entrant airframe makers to build all-new hydrogen aircraft of the future.
Note.
- The Dornier 228 is a 19-seater airliner of which over three hundred have been built.
- The de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 is an 80-seater airliner of which over six hundred have been ordered and over 1200 of all marques of Dash 8s have been built.
Both are workhorses of the smaller airlines all over the world.
As the paragraph from The Times indicates the power system is not conventional, but then most of this new breed of small electric/hydrogen/hybrid airliners have electric propulsion. I suspect that there’s been a marked improvement in the design and efficiency of electric motors.
Electric propulsion should have a substantial noise advantage over turboprops.
ZeroAvia are also retrofitting their two chosen airliners.
This offers advantages in the certifying of the airliners. Providing the changes made to the airframe are not significant, the various certifying authorities in the UK, US and EU will allow previous certification to be carried over.
This means that ZeroAvia only have to thoroughly test and certify the powerplant and its integration into the aircraft.
One of their competitors, the Eviation Alice is a completely new airframe with battery-electric power, so I suspect this aircraft will take longer to certify.
I think ZeroAvia have used this shorter certification time to aim to get their airliners in service first.
Those that don’t win, don’t get the same fame.
Hydrogen At Birmingham Airport
Hydrogen will be needed at Birmingham Airport to refuel ZeroAvia’s airliners.
But will hydrogen also be used on the airside to power some of the heavy vehicles you see on airports.
Look at this page on the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, which shows a Hydrogen Fuel Cell U-30 Aircraft Tow Tractor. The specification indicates, that it can tow a C-17 or a Boeing 747.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Birmingham Airport build their own electrolyser nearby both to supply hydrogen-powered aircraft and decarbonise the airside.
To And From Birmingham Airport
Consider.
- Birmingham Airport is connected to Birmingham International station by a free AirRail Link.
- Birmingham International station has an impressive number of services, many of which are electric.
- There will be a people mover to connect to Birmingham Interchange for High Speed Two.
- Birmingham Interchange will have five trains per hour (tph) to and from London, taking under forty minutes.
- There are plans to extend the West Midlands Metro to the airport, with journeys taking thirty minutes from the City Centre.
- Birmingham Airport is at the centre of the UK’s motorway network.
Most public transport to Birmingham Airport will be zero-carbon and the percentage that is will increase.
A Green Air Bridge To Ireland
Currently the fastest services between London and Birmingham International station take a few minutes over the hour.
But after High Speed Two opens, the service will improve.
- High Speed Two will take under forty minutes.
- There will be five tph.
- High Speed Two will connect to the Elizabeth Line and the London Overground at Old Oak Common station.
- Euston station will have better connectivity to the Underground.
This diagram shows High Speed Two services.
Consider.
- Birmingham Interchange has good connections in the North.
- I can see that Birmingham Airport could start to attract lots of passengers going between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.
- And don’t forget Cardiff, Swansea, Exeter, Isle of Man and New Quay.
- Could Birmingham-Dublin and Birmingham-Belfast be run as frequent shuttles?
- Will there be AirRail tickets between Euston and Belfast and Dublin?
I also wonder if zero-carbon travel will attract passengers?
Zero-Carbon Air Cargo At Birmingham Airport
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Varamis Rail Launches Regular Express Light Freight Service.
These three paragraphs outline the service from Varamis Rail.
Varamis Rail has launched a 160 km/h express freight service between Glasgow and Birmingham International using a converted electric multiple-unit.
The service is targeted at express parcels and third-party delivery companies seeking next day delivery of consumer goods.
Consignments arriving at the Glasgow hub by 17.30 from Monday to Friday can reach Birmingham at 23.00, with northbound freight arriving at the Birmingham site by 23.00 reaching Glasgow at 05.30 the next morning.
I think this service would interface well with cargo planes operating overnight from Birmingham Airport.
It seems to me, that Spokes at Speke could be reborn at Birmingham.
Conclusion
Birmingham Airport seems to be positioning itself to take advantage of aviation’s new breed of planes.
Proposed High-Speed Two Services Are Not Complete
This diagram shows High Speed Two services.
Note.
- Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
- Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
- Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
- The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
- In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
Click on the diagram to enlarge it.
Are The Services Incomplete Or Has Someone Left Something Out?
Look at trains 4, 5 and 6.
- Train 4 is a pair of Classic-Compatible trains, which split at Crewe, with one going to Liverpool Lime Street and the other to Lancaster.
- Train 5 is a single Classic-Compatible train, that goes to Liverpool Lime Street.
- Train 6 is a single Classic-Compatible train, that goes to Macclesfield.
As an example, Train 5 could be a pair of Classic-Compatible trains, which split at Crewe, with one going to Liverpool Lime Street and the other to Chester, Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead. I actually believe that this would be a way of creating a low-carbon route to Dublin, with a zero-carbon high-speed ferry from Holyhead.
What to do with Train 6 is more difficult.
- Stafford and Stoke need to be served by High Speed Two.
- Stafford, Stoke and Macclesfield are not stations with long platforms, so may not be suitable places to split a pair of Classic-Compatible trains.
- Places North of Macclesfield to terminate trains are not numerous and probably only Manchester and Huddersfield may be suitable.
The alternative might be to split a pair of Classic-Compatible trains forming Train 6 at Birmingham Interchange, one going to Stafford, Stoke and Macclesfield and the other going to Blackburn, Blackpool, Crewe, Lancaster, Liverpool or Preston
Is Liverpool Going To Get High Speed One-Point-Five?
Some of the best train journeys, I’ve ever had were not on high speed trains on specially-built tracks.
- The Thunder of Three-Thousand Three-Hundred Horses is from the early 1970s and describes a trip back from Darlington behind a Class 55 locomotive or Deltic.
- Norwich-In-Ninety Is A Lot More Than Passengers Think! describes a trip from London to Norwich and back, in the early days of the Norwich-in-Ninety timetable behind a Class 90 locomotive.
- I could add a journey on an InterCity 125 from London to Plymouth, which was running nearly thirty minutes late at Newbury, but was on time at Exeter.
The connection between these stories, was that all had a superb biological control system in the cab, who with help from the signallers was able to keep to a difficult schedule or make up time.
Last year, I made several journeys between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street. A couple of the journeys were unusual in that we arrived at our destination around six or more minutes early.
I suspect, that Avanti West Coast were experimenting to make sure that they get the new two trains per hour (tph) for the route perfect.
In Avanti West Coast Looks To Recover, I said this about Euston and Liverpool Lime Street services.
A paragraph talks about the second hourly service between London and Liverpool.
Avanti still has ambitions to introduce a second hourly service between Euston and Liverpool, but when this will come in will depend on demand recovery.
Consider.
- If would be desirable if some or all trains running on the route could achieve a timing of two hours between London and Liverpool.
- It is felt that the second service should stop at Liverpool South Parkway station, where the platforms are too short for eleven-car Class 390 trains.
- Avanti have stated they would like more stops in the Trent Valley, especially at Nuneaton, where they would connect to services to the East Midlands.
- Nuneaton is almost exactly halfway between London and Liverpool.
- Running two tph with Class 807 trains would need nine trains and Avanti have only ordered ten in total.
I believe that a practical timetable like this could work.
- Class 390 train – one tph – Non-stop or perhaps a single stop in the Midlands – Under two hours
- Class 807 train – one tph – Stopping at Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway – Current time or better
An hourly service between London and Liverpool in under two hours would surely be a passenger magnet.
So what is possible?
I found this service on Real Time Trains, which ran on the 16th February 2023.
- Scheduled to leave Liverpool Lime Street at 0943, but left at 1012 or 29 minutes late.
- Train did a ninety second unadvertised stop at Liverpool South Parkway. Now running 26 minutes late.
- There was a two minute stop at Runcorn and a four-minute stop at Crewe. Now running 25 minutes late
- There was a one-minute stop at Milton Keynes. Now running 20 minutes late.
- The train arrived in London Euston at 1220 or 16 minutes late.
Note.
- Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston took 2 hours and 8 minutes.
- As Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is a distance of 193.6, a 128 minute journey is an average speed of 90.7 mph
- Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe took 32 minutes with two stops.
- Crewe and London Euston took 1 hour and 32 minutes with one stop.
- In West Coast Main Line Electro-Diesels On Test, I found that a Glasgow and London train took 1 hour and 28 minutes between Crewe and London Euston.
- All services last week had the unadvertised stop at Liverpool South Parkway
What can be deduced from these figures?
- If the Crewe stop were to be cut out, two hours and four minutes could certainly be possible between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston with a Class 390 train.
- I also suspect that if the train were to be run non-stop, that the other four minutes could be saved.
So will Avanti West Coast run the current service using new Class 807 trains, with the extra stop at Liverpool South Parkway and perhaps other stations and the additional hourly train with a non-stop nine-car Class 390 train?
This way of delivering a two tph service would mean.
- Runcorn, Crewe and Milton Keynes would not lose any of their current fast services to and from Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- Liverpool South Parkway station is probably a more convenient location for some passengers going to and from the South. It would gain an hourly service to London Euston.
- There will be an additional 77% of seats between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- Passengers who don’t like tilting trains could use the Class 807 trains.
- One tph would be timed for two hours or under and would be a marketing man’s dream.
No train would be slower than the current services.
Improvements To The Non-Stop Class 390 Train Service
I earlier said.
As Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is a distance of 193.6, a 128 minute journey is an average speed of 90.7 mph.
An average speed of 90.7 mph, doesn’t seem fast for a Class 390 train with an operating speed of 125 mph or 140 mph under full ERTMS digital signalling.
These are some times for a selection of average speeds between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- 90 mph – 2 hours 9 minutes
- 100 mph – 1 hour 56 minutes
- 110 mph – 1 hour 46 minutes
- 120 mph – 1 hour 37 minutes
- 125 mph – 1 hour 33 minutes
- 130 mph – 1 hour 29 minutes
- 135 mph – 1 hour 26 minutes
- 140 mph – 1 hour 23 minutes
Note.
- Average speeds of upwards of 130 mph are unlikely, but I’ve added them to show that the train speed is less important than the speed of the track.
- High Speed Two’s planned time between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston is 1 hour and 32 minutes.
But I do think times of around 1 hour and 35 minutes should be possible for non-stop Class 390 trains between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston with an improved track and full ERTMS digital signalling.
Improvements To The Stopping Class 807 Train Service
As the track of the West Coast Main Line is improved with better track and full ERTMS digital signalling, this will also benefit the times of the stopping service run by the new Class 807 trains.
The Class 807 train with its lighter weight will have better acceleration than the current Class 390 trains. This will mean, that they will not be slowed as much, when they stop.
It may be possible to add extra stops at places like Watford Junction, Nuneaton and Stafford and still time the train for a few minutes over two hours.
Avanti West Coast Looks To Recover, is a post, that I wrote based on an interview in Modern Railways with Phil Whittingham, who is MD of Avanti West Coast.
There is a lot of talk in the article about.
- Using Nuneaton to connect the North West and the East Midlands.
- The acceleration of the Class 807 trains.
- Improving the Customer Service.
I think that Liverpool will find it is connected to more of the country on services with just a single change.
Conclusion
Liverpool is getting greater connectivity to the Midlands and the South-East of England, with times, that could be improved to be comparable with High Speed Two.
West Coast Main Line Electro-Diesels On Test
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The first two of 13 Hitachi Class 805 electro-diesel trainsets ordered for Avanti West Coast services are undergoing testing on the West Coast Main Line ahead of entry into service later this year.
These Class 805 trains will go to places like Chester, Bangor and Holyhead via Crewe.
It is interesting to look at various Crewe to London Euston services this morning.
- 0740 – Class 390 train – From Liverpool – One Stop – 1 hour 40 minutes
- 0755 – Class 221 train – From Holyhead – One Stop – 1 hour 40 minutes
- 0832 – Class 390 train – From Manchester – One Stop – 1 hour 37 minutes
- 0844 – Class 390 train – From Glasgow – 1 hour 28 minutes
Note.
- The first field is the four-figure time that the train left Crewe.
- The last field is the journey time between Crewe to London Euston.
- The Class 390 and 805 trains will use electricity to run between Crewe and London Euston, whereas the Class 221 train will use diesel.
- Crewe and London Euston is 158 miles.
- The Glasgow train covers the 158 miles at an average speed of 107.7 mph.
I have some thoughts.
What Will Be The Time For A Class 805 Train Between Crewe And London Euston?
Consider.
- From Crewe, the Class 805 train will be using the electrification to London Euston.
- The Class 390 train can tilt, whereas the Class 805 train can’t!
- The Class 805 train is at least three tonnes lighter per car, than the Class 390 train.
- The lighter weight and possibly more power of the Class 805 trains, will give better acceleration.
- There is twenty-one years of difference in the build dates of the two trains. In that time, I also suspect that Network Rail have improved the track between Crewe and London Euston.
- Norton Bridge junction has been improved to avoid conflicts.
- It would be very convenient for Avanti West Coast and Network Rail, if the performance under electrification of the two trains were similar.
For these reasons, I believe that the performance of a non-stop Crewe And London Euston service using a Class 805 train will be such that it can match that of a Class 390 train.
I would also expect that with a similar stopping pattern between Crewe And London Euston, there would be little to choose between the two trains.
I can see with its better acceleration and lighter weight that the time between Crewe and London Euston will be perhaps a dozen minutes faster than the current time.
Using the electrification will also save a lot of diesel fuel with all its emissions.
Along The North Wales Coast Line
Consider.
- Crewe and Holyhead is 105.5 miles and takes two hours and two minutes in a typical service.
- These figures give an average speed of 52 mph.
- There are six stops, which are scheduled to take a total of ten minutes.
- About half the North Wales Coast Line has a maximum operating speed of 90 mph, but through Chester, Llandudno Junction and West of Bangor, the operating speed is 75 mph or less.
I am fairly sure, that with both the current Class 221 trains and the new Class 805 trains, it will be the track, rather than the train that determines the average speed.
It would therefore appear that if the average speed can be raised by track improvements these time savings could be achieved.
- 60 mph – 105.5 mins – 16.5 mins
- 70 mph – 90 mins – 32.5 mins
- 80 mph – 79 mins – 43 mins
- 90 mph – 70 mins – 52 mins
- 100 mph – 63 mins – 59 mins
- 110 mph – 58 mins – 64 mins
- 120 mph – 53 mins – 69 mins
- 130 mph – 49 mins – 73 mins
- 140 mph – 45 mins – 77 mins
Note.
- The first column is the average speed.
- The second column is the time between Holyhead and Crewe.
- The third column is the saving.
- I suspect that 90 or 100 mph would be the highest possible practical average speed.
- Trains average 100 mph on several long sections of the Great Eastern Main Line.
- I put in the higher speeds to show what is possible, if the North Wales Coast Line were to be converted into a 140 mph electrified line with digital signalling.
Even at these relatively slow speeds compared to High Speed Two, there are considerable time savings to be made, just by improving the tracks.
Incidentally, High Speed Two is quoted in Wikipedia as aiming for a Crewe and London Euston time of 56 minutes, so by averaging 100 mph between Crewe and Holyhead, London Euston and Holyhead could be under two hours.
Batteries And Class 805 Trains
I wouldn’t be surprised that soon after the Class 805 trains are delivered, they could be converted to a version of Hitachi’s Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, the specification of which is shown in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- I suspect that the batteries will be used to handle regenerative braking on lines without electrification, which will save diesel fuel and carbon emissions.
- The trains accelerate faster, than those they replace.
- The claimed fuel and carbon saving is twenty percent.
- It is intended that these trains will be introduced in 2023.
But Hitachi have not given any predictions of the range of these trains on battery power alone.
However, they do claim a battery range of 56 miles for the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which is based on similar technology.
These trains could help in speeding the stops between Crewe and Holyhead.
- Batteries would be charged at Holyhead and on the electrification to the South of Crewe.
- At each stop, trains would use a proportion of the power in the battery to accelerate faster and save fuel and cut emissions.
- Battery power would be used in stations for train hotel power.
- Westbound trains would arrive in Holyhead and Southbound trains would arrive in Crewe, with not much power in the battery.
I suspect that, whether diesel or battery power is used, will be controlled by a sophisticated computerised control system.
Electrification Along The North Wales Coast Line
I think this will eventually happen to allow High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains to run to Chester and along the North Wales Coast Line to Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead.
But there is no benefit to be gained in electrifying until higher speeds are possible, after track improvements.
I believe these times will be possible with track improvements and the opening of High Speed Two.
- Holyhead and Crewe – Class 805 train and 80 mph average – 79 mins
- Holyhead and Crewe – Class 805 train and 90 mph average – 70 mins
- Holyhead and Crewe – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train, electrification and 100 mph average – 63 mins
- Crewe and London Euston – Class 805 train – 80 mins
- Crewe and London Euston – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train – 56 mins
Note, electrification will be needed, to run High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains along the North Wales Coast Line.
I am confident that these times will be possible.
- Holyhead and London Euston – Class 805 train and 90 mph average along the coast – 2 hours 30 mins
- Holyhead and London Euston – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train and 100 mph average along the coast – 2 hours
The current time between Holyhead and London Euston is over three hours 45 minutes.
Conclusion
These trains will certainly speed up trains to North Wales.
The Anonymous Widower 