The Anonymous Widower

How Will The East Coast Main Line Timetable Change Affect Sheffield?

This article in the October 2025 Edition of Modern Railways is entitled Industry Gears Up For December ECML Timetable Change.

This is the first paragraph.

Major changes are planned to trains along the East Coast main line from 14 December as the long-heralded timetable takes effect.

In this post, I will see how the changes detailed in the article in Modern Railways will affect Sheffield and Doncaster.

Aberdeen-Edinburgh

This is said about Aberdeen and Edinburgh services.

Monday-Saturday services will not change between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with all intermediate stations served at similar times.

The LNER service to and from King’s Cross will call additionally at Doncaster, Newark Northgate and Peterborough; the last LNER Monday-Friday departure from Aberdeen will terminate at Doncaster instead of Leeds, and the first LNER Monday-Saturday train to Aberdeen will start from King’s Cross at 05:48 instead of Leeds.

Note.

  1. An hourly fast train between Edinburgh and King’s Cross will have a journey time of 4 hours and 10 minutes, which is a saving of at least 12 minutes.
  2. There is an Aberdeen-Manchester air service, but no Edinburgh-Manchester or Leeds-Scotland air services.
  3. In Could London And Central Scotland Air Passengers Be Persuaded To Use The Trains?, I speculated about how air passengers could be tempted to use the trains between London and Central Scotland.
  4. It looks to me, that LNER are strengthening their services between Doncaster and Scotland.
  5. Will that 05:48 King’s Cross departure for Aberdeen, enable a working day in Aberdeen and return?

Is LNER’s aim to get travellers to use the trains between Doncaster and Scotland, as an alternative to driving or trains from Leeds?

Alnmouth and Berwick

This is said about Alnmouth services.

Quicker LNER journey times are promised to stations South of York, with King’s Cross-Alnmouth journey times up to 15 minutes quicker.

More TPE trains will run between Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick, Reston, Dunbar, East Linton and Edinburgh Waverley.

The number of trains calling at Durham on weekdays will fall from 18 to 13 Southbound and from 15 to 10 Northbound.

This is said about Berwick services.

LNER trains will call every two hours during the middle of the day, and the number of weekday trains to King’s Cross falls from 15 to 11 Southbound with a 13 to nine fall Northbound. More TPE trains will call.

Note.

  1. Lumo serves Newcastle, Morpeth and Edinburgh.
  2. Reston and East Linton are new stations.
  3. The stations between Newcastle and Edinburgh need adequate parking to attract commuters.

It looks to me, that LNER are timing the trains to attract day trips along the East Coast Main Line.

Bradford Forster Square/Interchange

This is said about Bradford Forster Square services.

The number of weekday trains will remain as per May 2025, but on Sundays, the number of trains serving Forster Square increases from two to six each way on a two-hourly interval. LNER stopping patterns change, with fewer trains calling at Peterborough and none at Grantham or Retford.

Trains currently stop at Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Shipley, but surely a more regular six trains per day (tpd) is preferable.

 

This is said about Bradford Interchange services.

At Interchange, Grand Central Trains will run at different times to the May 2025 timetable, with King’s Cross journeys up to 20 minutes quicker. One GC each way will call at Peterborough, while some will stop at Pontefract Monkhill on Sundays for the first time.

Note.

  1. Trains currently stop at Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
  2. Is the twenty minutes time saving due to the new digital signalling to the South of Doncaster?
  3. Is this another open access operator being allowed to do what they do best?

This looks to be a very useful service, which serves several stations, with no other service to London.

Doncaster

This is said about Doncaster services.

Additional trains calling at destinations including Birmingham New Street, Sheffield, York, Newark and Berwick-upon-Tweed. LNER Aberdeen/Inverness trains will call at Doncaster. EMR trains will be retimed at Doncaster to provide better connections with LNER’s revised timetables, but journeys from Doncaster to Sleaford and Spalding will require a change at Lincoln. This change has been made to “enable improved connections” at Peterborough, Sleaford, Lincoln and Doncaster. The number of trains calling at Stevenage falls from 24 to 19 Southbound and 24 to 21 Northbound, with Grantham stops dropping by seven trains to 28 Southbound and 4 to 29 Northbound.

If CrossCountry Trains were to switch their trains to Hitachi InterCity Battery trains, I believe that a version of these trains could handle routes like Plymouth and Aberdeen.

  • This would speed up services.
  • Trains would run close together and thus increase capacity.
  • Services could even be faster.

So expect a replacement order for CrossCountry Trains diesel multiple units soon.

Glasgow

LNER gave up serving Glasgow Central from King’s Cross in the December 2024 timetable change.

In Lumo Will Extend Its King’s Cross And Edinburgh Service To Glasgow, I talked about Lumo extending their King’s Cross and Edinburgh service to Glasgow Central station.

Hull

This is said about Hull services.

On Mondays-Fridays, Hull Trains will provide an extra train from London.

The LNER Monday-Friday Hull-Doncaster train will be withdrawn;

Northern will operate a 20:25 departure to Doncaster; calling at Brough and Selby.

Note.

  1. It looks like Great British Railways have surrendered Hull and Beverley to Hull Trains.
  2. Hull Trains are converting their Class 802 trains to battery-electric power.
  3. It is likely that Hull Trains upgraded trains will be able to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line via Lincoln on battery power.

The new timetable appears to be ready for the future of Hull Trains.

Leeds

This is said about Leeds services.

LNER services will depart to King’s Cross at xx.10 and xx.40.

Northern will introduce an extra mostly hourly service between  Leeds and Sheffield calling at Wakefield Westgate. They will depart about 30 minutes earlier or later than the CrossCountry service.

Note.

  1. I would expect the two King’s Cross and Leeds services which would both stop at Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate would set the timings between Doncaster and Leeds.
  2. Currently, of the four trains that run to and from Leeds every two hours, two are planned to terminate at Leeds, one at Harrogate and one at Bradford Forster Square.
  3. There is also a daily service between King’s Cross and Skipton via Leeds.
  4. I can envisage another service between  King’s Cross and Ilkley via Leeds, Kirkstall Forge, Guiseley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ben Rhydding.
  5. I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Huddersfield, via Leeds, White Rose, Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield and Deighton.
  6. I can envisage another service between King’s Cross and Hebden Bridge, via Leeds, White Rose, Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Brighouse.
  7. An alternative to Hebden Bridge would be Rochdale, which already has four platforms and is on the Manchester Metrolink
  8. It appears that Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Leeds and Skipton stations can turn nine or ten-car trains and Ilkley can turn five-car trains.
  9. I also believe that one of Hitachi’s InterCity Battery trains could use battery power to take the spectacular Settle and Carlisle Line to Carlisle or even Glasgow Central.
  10. If needed pairs of five-car trains could split and join at Leeds, with one train waiting at Leeds and the other train going on to another destination.
  11. The CrossCountry and Northern Trains services on the Sheffield and Leeds route via Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate would probably need to be modern battery-electric trains to maximise the capacity on the route.

There certainly seem to be opportunities to give a number of stations in Yorkshire an all-electric service to King’s Cross with a two-hourly frequency, in a time of a few minutes over two hours.

Lincoln

This is said about Lincoln services.

One more LNER train from King’s Cross will run, with the first train arriving earlier and the last train later. There will no longer be an LNER train serving Stevenage with passengers having to change at Newark Northgate or Peterborough. An improved service will run to and from Nottingham, with an increase from one to two trains per hour on Mondays-Saturdays. An hourly service will run to Crewe, and a new Matlock-Nottingham-Lincoln-Cleethorpes service will run. EMR will cease all bar morning peak direct trains to/from Leicester. Newark Northgate-Lincoln trains will be reduced from five to four on Mondays-Fridays, eight to four on Saturdays and ten to eight on Sundays.

Note.

  1. Travellers between Lincoln/Nottingham and the North/Scotland will have two trains per hour to Newark Northgate, where there will be two tph to the North/Scotland.
  2. The hourly Crewe service will give access to Liverpool Manchester and the West Coast Main Line.
  3. Will there still be a Liverpool and Norwich service or will this be replaced by East-West Rail?

There seems to be a big sort out to EMR services.

Newcastle

This is said about Newcastle services.

The number of trains serving King’s Cross increases from 35 to 53 Southbound on weekdays and from 36 to 52 Northbound. One train every hour will run non-stop to York. More TPE trains will run Northbound (see Alnmouth and Berwick), while Northern is retiming services on the Northumberland Line in anticipation of Northumberland Park and Bedlington stations opening in early 2026. A semi-fast hourly service between Newcastle and Middlesbrough will run on Mondays-Saturdays and there will be an hourly stopping service between them.

Note.

  1. There will be a big increase in services between King’s Cross and Newcastle.
  2. Is the aim to persuade travellers to use trains rather than airlines?
  3. LNER also runs one train per day (tpd) between King’s Cross and Middlesbrough.
  4. Grand Central Trains will be running at a frequency of six tpd between King’s Cross and Sunderland via Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe, Hartlepool and Seaham.

Hull appears to have been left to Hull Trains and Glasgow to Lumo, and Sunderland appears to be left for Grand Central Trains.

Conclusions

I am coming to some conclusions about services on the East Coast Main Line, with respect to Sheffield.

Doncaster Is A Well-Equipped Station

Doncaster is the nearest station to Sheffield on the East Coast Main Line.

  • Over the last few years, Doncaster station has been improved.
  • It has a subway with a more than adequate number of lifts.
  • The station has nearly 600 parking spaces.
  • There is a taxi rank.
  • There is no Marks & Spencer’s food store, which is important for a coeliac like me.
  • There are thirty bus stands close to Doncaster station.
  • Doncaster station is well-equipped with cafes, a pub and coffee stalls.
  • All trains to Aberdeen, Bradford Forster Square, Bradford Interchange, Edinburgh, Hull, King’s Cross, Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield seem to stop at the station.
  • There are several local trains per hour.
  • Changing trains is not a strenuous exercise.

Doncaster is one of the UK’s better regional stations.

Doncaster Needs A Connection To The Sheffield Supertram

One of the first things, I do when I arrive in a strange town or city is look for the local public transport network.

In 2019, Sheffield published an ambitious plan for their tram network, which I wrote about in Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

The post contained this map, of Sheffield’s plans for the trams.

Doncaster and Doncaster Sheffield Airport are connected to the current end of the tram-train route at Rotherham Parkgate.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail lines between Rotherham Parkgate and Doncaster.

Note.

  1. Doncaster station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Rotherham Central station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  3. The blue arrow in the South-West corner indicates Rotherham Parkgate tram stop.
  4. Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough stations can be picked out.
  5. The dotted red line running North-South across the map is the route of the ill-fated Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.

It is a simple application of tram-train technology to connect Doncaster station and Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the Sheffield Supertram.

With all the comings and goings on the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster station, I believe that the tram-train connection to Sheffield and Rotherham is essential.

The Cities Of Bradford, Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield Can Have a High-Frequency Rail Connection

Consider.

  • Four stations are all step-free with a bridge or subway served by lifts.
  • Bradford Forster Square station has level access to the platforms from the street.
  • The rail lines between the five stations are electrified, with the exception of Sheffield and Doncaster.
  • Services between the cities are run by CrossCountry Trains, Grand Central Trains, Hull Trains, LNER and Northern Trains.
  • Most maximum speeds are not unduly slow.

Consequently the five cities can have a high-frequency rail connection in excess of four tph.

Could this be the basis of a Five-Cities Metro?

Open Access Services

There are six open access services running on the East Coast Main Line.

  • Grand Central Trains – King’s Cross-Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – 4 tpd
  • Grand Central Trains – King’s Cross-Sunderland via Peterborough, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – 6 tpd
  • Hull Trains – King’s Cross-Hull via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough – 4 tpd
  • Hull Trains – King’s Cross-Beverley via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough, Hull and Cottingham  – 2 tpd
  • Lumo – King’s Cross-Edinbugh via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth – 5 tpd
  • Lumo – King’s Cross-Glasgow Queen Street via Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth, Edinburgh and Falkirk High – 2 tpd

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. All seem to serve an exclusive area, except Lumo.
  3. In a couple of years, all could be using Hitachi trains.
  4. I suspect some services will swap their diesel generators for batteries.

Battery-power would allow some services to be zero-carbon, even when using the GNGE diversion.

 

 

 

 

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

Do Hitachi Battery Electric InterCity Trains Have Problems?

I asked Google the question in the title of this post and got this answer.

While Hitachi’s battery-powered intercity trains have shown promising results in trials, particularly regarding fuel savings and emissions reduction, there are some potential challenges and considerations. These include safety concerns related to lithium battery fires, especially in the event of a crash or derailment, as well as range limitations for longer journeys. However, the technology is continuously evolving, and Hitachi is actively working to address these issues.

That seems fairly positive.

There is also this article on the BBC, which everybody should read, which is entitled Will New Battery-Powered Trains Replace Diesel, And Are They Safe?.

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I look at the data sheet, that Hitachi published in late 2023.

These were my conclusions about the data sheet.

These are my conclusions about Hitachi’s battery packs for Class 80x trains, which were written in November 2023.

  • The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
  • A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
  • The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.

As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase.

Hitachi have seen my figures.

They also told me, that they were in line with their figures, but new and better batteries would increase range.

125 mph trains with a 120 mile range on batteries, would revolutionise UK train travel.

LNER’s Class 897 Trains

In the Wikipedia entry for LNER, this is said about LNER’s new ten CAF tri-mode trains.

In November 2023, LNER placed an order for 10 ten-car tri-mode (electric, diesel and battery power) Civity trains from CAF. In August 2024, it was announced that the units will be designated Class 897 under TOPS.

According to their Wikipedia entry, it appears the Class 897 trains will be delivered from 2027.

Can I Build A Schedule For The Introduction Of New Trains, Services and Batteries?

I think that I can from the information that is out there.

  • East Coast Main Line – December 2025 – Introduction of Lumo between London King’s Cross and Glasgow
  • West Coast Main Line – Spring 2026 – Introduction of Lumo between London Euston and Stirling
  • Midland Main Line – 2026-2027 – Introduction of EMR Class 810 trains between London St. Pancras and Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
  • East Coast Main Line – From 2027 – Introduction of LNER Class 897 trains between London King’s Cross and Yorkshire.

Note.

  1. The two Lumo services use trains already in service.
  2. The Class 810 trains for EMR are being debugged and introduced at the present time.
  3. The only new trains are the Class 897 trains for LNER.
  4. The introduction of the Class 897 trains will allow LNER to withdraw some trains for refurbishment and fitting of batteries.

This would mean that before the next general election, almost the full timetable between London and the North of England and Scotland would have been implemented using diesel-electric technology.

Is it a low-risk start to the full electrification of services to the North?

The second-phase would see battery-electric trains introduced.

I believe that Grand Central’s new trains would be brought into service first.

  • The new trains are scheduled to be introduced in 2028.
  • Grand Central will still have the diesel trains for backup.
  • Their new trains would be similar to the other Hitachi trains.
  • It looks like they could be doing some splitting and joining.

After the Grand Central trains had been introduced successfully, the trains for the other Hitachi operators would have batteries fitted.

I suspect short routes like Lincoln would be electrified with battery-electric trains first.

There would also need to be short lengths of electrification erected, so that trains could be charged to send them on their way.

Other routes could also be electrified in the same way.

  • Basingstoke and Exeter
  • Birmingham and Aberystwyth
  • Bristol and Penzance
  • Cardiff and Swansea
  • Crewe and Holyhead
  • Edinburgh and Aberdeen
  • Edinburgh and Inverness
  • Reading and Taunton
  • Swindon and Gloucester

If this technique could work for main lines, surely a scaled down version with smaller trains would work for branch lines.

Conclusion

Consider.

  • It looks to me, that someone has planned this thoroughly.
  • It all fits together extremely well.

It could be the first phase of a cunning plan to use battery-electric trains to electrify the UK’s railways.

Passengers will also see benefits, from when Lumo runs its first train into Glasgow Queen Street station.

I don’t think Hitachi’s trains have any problems, but there is enough float in this plan to make sure, it can be implemented on time and on budget.

 

August 6, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could East Midlands Railway Run A St. Pancras And Leeds Service?

East Midlands Railway’s new Class 810 trains have been designed, so that a pair will fit into one platform at St. Pancras.

If we assume one platform at St. Pancras is used for the Corby and Luton Airport Express services, that leaves three platforms for pairs of Class 810 trains to run expresses to the East Midlands.

This could be as many as twelve pairs of five-car trains per hour.

Where wioll they all terminate in the North?

Leeds station must be the obvious new destination.

  • Leeds has the largest population and is the largest commercial and finance centre in Yorkshire and the North-East.
  • Leeds would have gained three trains per hour (tph) from London, two tph from Birmingham and four tph from the East Midlands Hub at Nottinham.
  • Leeds is getting a brand new metro.
  • Leeds is a fully-electrified station, so it could charge the trains before they return to Sheffield, Leicester, Wigston junction and St. Pancras.
  • Leeds and Wigston junction is 107.8 miles, which should be within the range of a battery-electric Class 810 train. If it is too far, an extended stop could be taken at Sheffield to top up the batteries.
  • Note that Stadler hold the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance covered on one charge at 139 miles. Hitachi Rail, who are partnered with JCB’s battery-maker in Sunderland, should be able to smash that.

The Rail Minister; Lord Peter Hendy went to Leeds University.

Which Route Would The Trains Take Between Sheffield And Leeds?

Consider.

  • The fastest trains between Sheffield and Leeds, go via Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate stations.
  • Trains take about an hour.
  • The current frequency is two tph.
  • The distance is 41.1 miles with no electrification.

A frequency of two additional tph between St. Pancras and Leeds would give the following.

  • A nice round four tph between Yorkshire’s two most important cities.
  • Four fast tph between Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate stations, and Leeds and Sheffield.
  • Two direct trains between Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate, and Chesterfield, Derby, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester and St. Pancras.

It would be complimentary to any Leeds Metro.

Could East Midlands Railways Also Serve Huddersfield?

Consider.

  • Huddersfield is 36.4 miles further than Sheffield on the Penistone Line, which is not electrified.
  • Wigston junctionand Huddersfield station is 105.3 miles.
  • Huddersfield is a Grade I Listed station with two pubs in the middle of the town.
  • Huddersfield station is being fully-electrified in connection with the TransPennine Upgrade.
  • All trains from Sheffield, that use the Penistone Line  terminate in Platform 2 at Huddersfield station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the position of Platform 2 in the station.

Note.

  1. The red-and-black dotted tracks are being electrified.
  2. The black tracks are not going to be electrified.
  3. Platform 2 is marked 2 in the top-right corner of the map.
  4. Platform 2 looks to be about 90 metres long.
  5. Five-car Class 810 trains are 120 metres long.
  6. From the map, it looks like the platform could be lengthened by the required thirty metres.

I suspect that some form of charger can be squeezed into the available space. After all, you don’t often get the chance to put charging into one of the most grand stations in Europe. Power supply would not be a problem, because of the electrification.

A frequency of twotph between St. Pancras and Huddersfield would give the following.

  • Two fast tph between Meadowhall, and Barnsley, and Huddersfield and Sheffield.
  • Two extra direct trains between Meadowhall and Barnsley, and Chesterfield, Derby, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester and St. Pancras.

It would connect many stations to the TransPennine Route at Huddersfield station.

What Could The Sheffield and St. Pancras Look Like?

Consider that currently.

  • There are two tph.
  • Trains stop at Leicester, Loughborough (1tph), East Midlands Parkway (1tph), Long Eaton (1tph), Derby and Chesterfield.
  • Trains are five- or seven-cars.

The simplest solution would probably be.

  • A pair of five-car trains run all services.
  • Trains split and join at Sheffield with one train going to Leeds and one going to Huddersfield.

I estimate that the Class 810 trains will offer about thirty more seats in every hour.

July 19, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Problem Of Electrifying Leicester Station

This post is my attempt to try and explain the problem of electrifying the Midland Main Line through Leicester station.

This Google map shows the Southern end of the station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the station.

Note.

  1. There appear to be five tunnels under the station buildings and London Road.
  2. What is the tunnel going underneath the tracks used for?

Leicester station has a Grade II Listed frontage.

Note.

  1. It is an impressive Victorian station.
  2. The station building is on a bridge over the tracks.
  3. The station is also on one of the main roads through Leicester.
  4. The road layout is very complicated.

This 3D Google Map, shows an aerial view of the station.

Note.

  1. There four platforms, which are numbered 1-4 from the left.
  2. The expresses between London and Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield use the two middle tracks.
  3. Other main line and East-West services  use the outside platforms.
  4. There is an avoiding line for freight services.
  5. 5. The step-free footbridge is clearly visible.

This second 3D Google Map, shows an enlargement of the frontage of the station.

These pictures show what is inside the building at the front of the station.

The building would appear to be a Grade II Listed taxi rank and free twenty-minute car park.

There are plans to increase the capacity of the station.

  • A fifth platform will be added.
  • Three miles of quadruple track will be be built South of the station.
  • The Midland Main Line was also to be electrified.

Real Time Trains indicates that the distance between Leicester and Wigston North  junction is 3.1 miles.

This OpenRailMap shows that section of track.

Note.

  1. Leiester station is at the top of the map.
  2. Wigston junction is the triangular junction at the bottom of the map.
  3. Wigston North Junction is indicated by the blue arrow.
  4. OpenRailwayMap only shows a 100 mph Northbound track and a 90 mph Southbound track on the route.

It looks to me, that four tracks between Leicester and Wigston North  junction would mean that trains could expedite arrivals to and departures from Leicester to and from the South.

South From Wigston Junction

Consider.

  • London St. Pancras and Kettering is a four-track railway as far as the Corby Branch.
  • North of Luton the slowest maximum speed is 100 mph, with much of the line rated at 110 mph plus.
  • Wigston North junction and Luton station is 65.8 miles.
  • Current Class 222 diesel trains typically take 40 minutes.
  • This is an average speed of 98.7 mph.
  • An average speed of  110 mph between Wigston North junction and Luton station would take 36 minutes.
  • An average speed of  125 mph between Wigston North junction and Luton station would take 31.6 minutes.
  • An average speed of  130 mph between Wigston North junction and Luton station would take 30.4 minutes.

I believe with track improvements and digital signalling, there are time savings to be gained between St. Pancras and Leicester stations.

Ultimately, if the 140 mph design speed of the Class 810 trains under digital signalling could be maintained, this would do the following.

  • Push the St. Pancras and Leicester times under an hour.
  • Push the St. Pancras and Nottingham times under ninety minutes.
  • Push the St. Pancras and Sheffield times under two hours.

Batteries would only be used on the three miles between Wigston North junction and Leicester station.

Could Bi-Mode Trains Be Used?

They could be used initially and to prove if the partial electrification works.

But each train has four diesel engines and sometimes they will be working in pairs through the stations between Leicester and Sheffield.

Passengers will take a dim view of being covered in lots of diesel smoke, when they have been promised clean, zero-carbon electric trains.

But the battery-electric trains will be much quieter and pollution-free.

This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.

New Infrastructure Needed

The only infrastructure needed will be that which will support the new trains.

The Class 810 trains will be maintained at Etches Park at Derby.

If they are battery-electric trains, there may be some strategically-placed chargers, which typically would be a short length of overhead wire.

 

July 18, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newport To Swindon Via Gloucester – 14th June 2025

Because of engineering works, we came home from Newport via a diversion through Gloucester.

I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. I had sat on the right side of the train facing forward.
  2. We were accompanied my the thud, thud, thud of an underfloor diesel engine, as most of the route is not electrified.
  3. Newport and Gloucester is 44.8 miles.
  4. Gloucester and Swindon is 36.7 miles.
  5. Newport and Swindon is 81.5 miles.
  6. Newport and Swindon are fully-electrified stations.
  7. The first four pictures show Trains for Wales Premier Service.
  8. The Gloucester and Newport Line joins the South Wales Main Line at Severn Tunnel Junction station.
  9. As you travel towards Gloucester, the bridges over the Severn and the Wye can be clearly seen.
  10. There are two former nuclear power stations ;Berkeley and Oldbury, on the far bank of the River Severn.
  11. The large white wind turbine is close to Berkeley.
  12. Oldbury is further down the river.

As yesterday, the route is commonly used as a diversion route, when engineering works close the electrified main line through the Severn Tunnel.

I have some further thoughts.

Electrification Of Newport And Swindon

The distances involved are as follows.

  • Newport and Gloucester is 44.8 miles.
  • Gloucester and Swindon is 36.7 miles.
  • Newport and Swindon is 81.5 miles.

As Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Trains are likely to have a range of around a hundred miles, they should be able to handle the diversion.

A short length of electrification could be erected in Gloucester station to charge any battery-electric trains, that needed a boost.

I believe full electrification is not needed.

June 15, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Reading To Gatwick Airport Along The North Downs Line

After writing Connecting Reading And The West To Gatwick Airport And Eurostar, I decided to go and look at the reality of the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport stations.

I took my usual route to Reading, which is to go to Moorgate and get the Elizabeth Line direct to Reading using my Freedom Pass, after having breakfast in the Leon on Moorgate.

  • I then had to leave the station at Reading, so that I could buy my ticket to Gatwick Airport.
  • It would be so much easier, if there ere a couple of ticket machines on the bridge or platform at Reading station, so that passengers, who were changing trains could buy tickets quickly and easily.

In the end, I caught the 11:24 train to Gatwick with only a few minutes to spare.

From Reading To Gatwick Airport Along The North Downs Line

Along the North Downs Line, the train was a well-refreshed Great Western Railway Class 165 train.

These are some of the pictures, that I took on the route.

Note.

  1. The route goes through a lot of typical Surrey heathland.
  2. I noticed several pubs along the way.
  3. I suspect that there are some good walks from the stations.
  4. Reading and Guildford are university cities.
  5. Sandhurst is home to the Royal Military Academy.
  6. Farnborough Airport used to be home to the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
  7. Most of the seats on the train were taken.

I would expect that for a mainly rural route it is fairly busy.

Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Trains

Hitachi have developed an Intercity battery train and it is described on this page on their web site, where this is said about converting the trains to battery-electric operation.

A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.

Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.

That performance is certainly enough for Reading and Ashford via Gatwick, as only 37.7 miles in total, is not electrified.

Does The North Downs Line Mirror The East-West Rail?

Consider.

  • The East West Rail will encircle London to the North, between Oxford and Cambridge.
  • The North Downs Line encircles London to the South, between Reading and Ashford.

They could be considered two complimentary rail lines.

A Milton Keynes And Ashford International Service

Looking at the track layout on OpenRailwayMap, it would appear that one of Hitachi’s proposed Intercity Battery Trains fitted with dual voltage could pick its way elegantly along the East West Rail and the North Downs Line between Milton Keynes and Ashford International via Oxford, Reading and Gatwick Airport.

An Occasional Sheffield And Ashford International Service

If you could run a service between Milton Keynes and Ashford International, why not extend it to Bedford or even Sheffield in the North?

I believe if you put these Hitachi’s proposed Intercity Battery Trains on a cross-country route, that they will quickly suffer from London Overground Syndrome. This is my definition of the syndrome.

This benign disease, which is probably a modern version of the Victorian railway mania, was first identified in East London in 2011, when it was found that the newly-refurbished East London Line and North London Line were inadequate due to high passenger satisfaction and much increased usage. It has now spread across other parts of the capital, despite various eradication programs.

Put simply, it can probably be summed up as Quality Attracts Passengers.

Serving Heathrow

There have been various plans to get rail access into Heathrow from the West, but none have so far got off the starting blocks.

It is my view, that in the interim period, after my trip last weekend in the superb Wrightbus hydrogen double deck bus from Sutton to Gatwick, that I wrote about in Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, that we should ask Wrightbus, who are designing a hydrogen-powered coach, to design the ultimate coach to connect rail hubs to major airports.

I would then run these coaches every ten minutes between Reading station and Heathrow Airport.

Serving Attractions

I believe that pairing Hitachi’s proposed Intercity Battery Trains with Wrightbus’s hydrogen coach could be a winner for passengers and operators.

As an example, Lumo are hoping to run an open access service between Paddington and Carmarthen, if Heidi the Spoilsport permits. Would it not be sensible, if one of Wrightbus’s hydrogen coaches did the last mile duties to the ferry for Ireland at Fishguard harbour.

 

March 1, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Connecting Reading And The West To Gatwick Airport And Eurostar

I have just checked the electrification between Reading and Ashford International using OpenRailwayMap.

  • Between Cardiff and Reading the electrification is 25 KVAC overhead.
  • Between Reading and Wokingham the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.
  • Between Wokingham and Reigate is not electrified.
  • Between Reigate and Gatwick Airport the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.
  • Between Gatwick Airport  and Ashford International the electrification is 750 VDC third-rail.

Only 37.7 miles is not electrified.

Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Trains, have a range on battery power of seventy kilometres or forty-five miles, so these trains could go between Reading or any station to the West to any station on the North Downs Line, including Guildford, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Tonbridge and Ashford International stations.

The trains would need to be dual voltage and I’m fairly sure, that no new infrastructure would be needed.

A Green No-Fly Route Between Europe And Ireland

Consider.

  • The Great Western Main Line is electrified to Cardiff.
  • There is no electrification to the West of Cardiff.
  • Cardiff and Fishguard Hsrbour is 115.6 miles.
  • There is a ferry between Fishguard and Rosslare.

I suspect Hitachi could configure one of their Intercity Battery Trains, that could connect Ashford International and Fishguard Harbour stations.

February 28, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Fourteen New Trains To Drive First Rail Open Access Growth

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

These four bullet points are sub-headings.

  • The Group has signed an agreement with Angel Trains and Hitachi to lease 14 new five-car class 80X Hitachi electric, battery electric or bi-mode trains (70 cars in total) at a cost of c.£500m including maintenance, over a ten year lease period
  • The trains will be manufactured by Hitachi in County Durham, securing the skills base and jobs in the local area
  • The new trains will enable FirstGroup to significantly expand its open access portfolio and will be used on the newly announced London-Carmarthen route and to increase the number of cars on the existing Lumo and Hull Trains services
  • The agreement also contains an option for FirstGroup to lease up to an additional 13 trains on the same terms if the Group’s open access applications are granted by the Office of Rail and Road (‘ORR’)

These first three paragraphs add a bit more detail.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is visiting Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, today to celebrate a significant agreement for the Hitachi factory which has secured an order to manufacture 70 new rail cars for FirstGroup’s growing open access business, creating certainty for the manufacturing skills base, and the factory’s future.

The Lease Agreement will deliver 14 new trains, which will not only give the Group a homogenous fleet across its open access operations, ensuring flexibility and reliability for customers, but also facilitates the Group’s strategic objective of materially increasing its open access capacity. Delivery of the new trains is expected to commence in late 2027. The lease will be financed by Angel Trains, adding to their portfolio of Hitachi assets. The trains will be maintained by Hitachi at their facilities around the country.

The trains will be used on the Group’s open access rail services, including the Carmarthen-London route announced on 5 December, and the existing Hull Trains and Lumo services on the East Coast Mainline.

Note.

  1. Does the presence of Keir Starmer indicate any approval for open access?
  2. Trains could be electric, battery electric or bi-mode.
  3. Bi-mode trains should only be purchased these days, if they are convertible to battery-electric trains. Hitachi’s can.
  4. Delivery is expected to commence in late 2027.
  5. The first fourteen trains will be deployed on the London to Carmarthen, Edinburgh and Hull routes.

This table shows the trains needed initially  for each route.

  • Carmarthen – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – 75.3 miles unelectrified
  • Edinburgh – Class 803 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – electrified
  • Hull – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – 44.3 miles unelectrified

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. I’m assuming that as unelectrified distances to Carmarthen and Hull are not that far apart, the number of trains needed is the same.
  3. Class 802 trains are bi-mode.
  4. Class 803 trains are electric.

After the fourteen new trains are delivered, there will be a combined fleet of 29 trains.

Consider.

  • Hull Trains have started running some services as pairs of trains. I wrote about this in Ten-Car Hull Trains.
  • Lumo has been a success and perhaps needs more capacity.

The Wikipedia entry for Grand Union says this.

Grand Union proposed to operate with ex-LNER Class 91s and Rail Operations Group Class 93s hauling nine-car Mark 4s and a Driving Van Trailer.

So perhaps the Carmarthen service needs ten-car trains.

That would mean that the number of routes needed for the three routes would be as follows.

  • Carmarthen – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd -10 trains
  • Edinburgh – Class 803 trains – 5 tpd -10 trains
  • Hull – Class 802 trains – 7 tpd – 10 trains

It would appear that we’re a train short with 29 in the combined fleet against a need of 30 trains.

But then it would also appear that Hull Trains can provide the required five/ten car service with only four trains.

I would assume that the extra train, goes to make up the numbers for  Lumo’s Carmarthen service.

 

December 6, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights

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

These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.

  • Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
  • Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
  • Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.

These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.

Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.

Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.

The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.

These are my observations and thoughts.

Grand Central’s Current Services

Grand Central currently runs two separate services.

  • King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
  • King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. Weekend services are reduced.
  3. Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.

Grand Central have applied to run more services.

Distances Without Electrification On Current Services

Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.

  • King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
  • King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles

Note.

  1. Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
  2. Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
  3. Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.

The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.

These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.

And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.

Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.

Grand Central’s New Trains

Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.

  • Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
  • Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
  • Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.

Note.

  1. A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
  2. Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
  3. Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
  4. LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?

I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.

Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln

The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.

Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.

Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services

Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.

Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.

They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.

Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?

  • Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
  • An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
  • London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
  • The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
  • They might save a few minutes.

But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.

This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.

The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.

  • Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
  • One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
  • Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
  • As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.

I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.

Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services

If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.

They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.

Conclusion

It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.

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