Irlam Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Irlam station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current subway.
The station was a total surprise, with a large pub-cafe and a lot of visitors and/or travellers sitting in the sun.
I had an excellent coffee and a very welcoming gluten-free blueberry muffin!
This Google Map shows the station.
It is one of those stations where commuters have to cross the railway either on the way to work or coming home.
So a step-free method of crossing the railway is absolutely necessary.
The Current And Future Rail Service
As the station lies conveniently between Liverpool and Warrington to the West and Manchester and Manchester Airport to the East, it must be a station with tremendous potential for increasing the number of passengers.
At the moment the service is two trains per hour (tph) between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road stations.
- Oxford Road is probably not the best terminus, as it is not on the Metrolink network.
- When I returned to Manchester, many passengers alighted at Deansgate for the Metrolink.
- On the other hand, Liverpool Lime Street is a much better-connected station and it is backed up by Liverpool South Parkway station, which has a connection to Merseyrail’s Northern Line.
- The current service doesn’t serve Manchester Piccadilly or Airport stations.
A guy in the cafe also told me that two tph are not enough and the trains are often too short.
Merseyrail work to the same principle as the London Overground and other cities of four tph at all times and the frequency certainly draws in passengers.
Whilst I was drinking my coffee, other trains past the station.
- One tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport
- One tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich
Modern trains like Northern’s new Class 195 trains, should be able to execute stops at stations faster than the elderly diesel trains currently working the route.
So perhaps, after Irlam station becomes step-free, the Manchester Airport service should call as well.
As Liverpool Lime Street station has been remodelled, I can see a time in the not too distant future, when that station can support four tph, that all stop at Irlam station.
The Manchester end of the route could be a problem, as services terminating at Oxford Road have to cross the busy lines of the Castlefield Corridor.
So perhaps all services through Irlam, should go through Deansgate, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly stations to terminate either at the Airport or perhaps Stockport or Hazel Grove stations.
But would this overload the Castlefield Corridor?
Battery/Electric Trains
If you look at the route between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road stations, the following can be seen.
- Only about thirty miles between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is not electrified.
- The section without electrification doesn’t appear to be particularly challenging, as it is along the River Mersey.
It is my view, that the route between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam, would be an ideal route for a battery/electric train.
A train between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport stations would do the following.
- Run from Liverpool Lime Street station to Liverpool South Parkway station using the installed 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Drop the pantograph during the stop at Liverpool South Parkway station.
- Run from Liverpool South Parkway station to Deansgate station using battery power.
- Raise the pantograph during the stop at Deansgate station.
- Run from Deansgate station to Manchester Airport station, using the installed 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
The exact distance between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is 28.2 miles or 45.3 kilometres.
In 2015, I was told by the engineer riding shotgun on the battery/electric Class 379 train, that that experimental train was capable of doing fifty kilometres on battery power.
There are at least four possible trains, that could handle this route efficiently.
- Porterbrook’s proposed batteryFLEX train based on a Class 350 train.
- A battery/electric train based on the seemingly unwanted Class 379 train.
- A battery/electric version of Stadler’s Class 755 train.
- I believe that Bombardier’s Aventra has been designed so that a battery/electric version can be created.
There are probably others and I haven’t talked about hydrogen-powered trains.
Battery power between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam, appears to be very feasible.
Tram-Trains
As my train ran between Manchster and Irlam it ran alongside the Metrolink between Cornbrook and Pomona tram stops.
Manchester is very serious about tram-trains, which I wrote about in Could A Class 399 Tram-Train With Batteries Go Between Manchester Victoria And Rochdale/Bury Bolton Street/Rawtenstall Stations?.
Tram-trains are often best employed to go right across a city, so could the Bury tram-trains go to Irlam after joining the route in the Cornbrook area?
- Only about thirty miles between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is not electrified.
- The route between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam doesn’t look to be a very challenging line to electrify.
- The total distance bettween Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria station is only about forty miles, which is a short distance for a tram-train compared to some in Karlsruhe.
- Merseyrail’s Northern Line terminates at Hunts Cross station, which is going to be made step-free.
- There is an existing step-free interchange between the Liverpool and Manchester route via Irlam and Merseyrail’s Northern Line at Liverpool South Parkway station.
- Class 399 tram-trains will have a battery capability in South Wales.
- Class 399 tram-trains have an operating speed of 62 mph, which might be possible to increase.
- Stadler make Class 399 tram-trains and are building the new Class 777 trains for Merseyrail.
I think that Stadler’s engineers will find a totally feasible and affordable way to link Manchester’s Metrolink with Liverpool Lime Street station and Merseyrail’s Northern and Wirral Lines.
I can envisage the following train service running between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam.
- An hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and Nottingham, as has been proposed for the new East Midlands Franchise.
- A four tph service between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly.
- A tram-train every ten minutes, linking Liverpool Central and Manchester’s St Peter’s Square.
- Tram-trains would extend to the North and East of Manchester as required.
- All services would stop much more comprehensively, than the current services.
- Several new stations would be built.
- In the future, the tram-trains could have an interchange with High Speed Two at Warrington.
Obviously, this is just my speculation, based on what I’ve seen of tram-train networks in Germany.
The possibilities for the use of tram trains are wide-ranging.
Installing Step-Free Access At Irlam Station
There would appear to be two ways of installing step-free access at Irlam station.
- Add lifts to the existing subway.
- Add a separate bridge with lifts.
These are my thoughts on each method.
Adding Lifts To The Existing Subway
Consider.
- The engineering would not be difficult.
- Installaton would probably take a number of weeks.
- There is good contractor access on both sides of the railway.
There are similar successful step-free installations around the UK
The problem is all about, how you deal with passengers, whilst the subway is closed for the installation of the lifts.
Adding A Separate Bridge With Lifts
Consider.
- There is a lot of space at both the Eastern and Western ends of the platform to install a new bridge.
- Adding a separate bridge has the big advantage, that during the installation of the bridge, passengers can use the existing subway.
- Once the bridge is installed, the subway can be refurbished to an appropriate standard.
Passengers will probably prefer the construction of a new bridge.
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed at Irlam station?
There is certainly space at both ends of the platform to install such a bridge and the daily business of the station and its passengers would be able to continue unhindered, during the installation.
I’m also sure, that the cafe would be happy to provide the daily needs of the workforce.
Conclusion
From a station and project management point-of-view, adding a new factory-built bridge to Irlam station is the easiest and quickest way to make the station step-free.
It also appears, that Network Rail have made a wise choice in deciding to put Irlam station on their list of stations to be made step-free, as the station could be a major part in creating a new high-capacity route between Liverpool and Manchester.
This could also be one of the first stations to use an example of the new bridge.
- Installation would be quick and easy.
- There is no site access problems.
- There station can remain fully open during the installation.
- All stakeholders would probably be in favour.
But above all, it would be a superb demonstration site to bring those from stations, where Network Rail are proposing to erect similar bridges.
Romania Could Buy Hydrogen-Fueled Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Romania Insider.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Romania could become the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to buy hydrogen-fueled trains for passenger rail transport, according to Club Feroviar online publication quoted by Economica.net.
Five such trains might be purchased to serve the new North Railway Station – Bucharest Airport line in the country’s capital city, a route that might be opened in 2020, the source said.
It looks like the trains could be off-the-shelf Alstom Coradia iLint trains, like the one in this picture at Buxtehude.
The article says that because the trains are non-polluting, European funding might be available.
Battery Answer To Schleswig-Holstein’s Diesel Replacement Question
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
It is a good explanation of why there is so much interest in battery-powered trains.
This paragraph from the article, describes how the trains will operate in Schleswig-Holstein.
They will have range of 150 km under optimal conditions, although the longest non-electrified route they will operate on is around 80 km. The batteries will be recharged from the existing 15 kV 16·7 Hz overhead electrification at Kiel, Neumünster, Flensburg, Lübeck and Lüneburg stations and on the Osterrönfeld – Jübek line. Charging facilities will also be provided in other locations, and there will be some extensions to the existing overhead power supply.
Consider.
- These trains can run on routes of up to eighty kilometres or around fifty miles.
- Greater Anglia and Transport for Wales will be running the UK versions of the Stadler Flirts, that will be used in Schleswig-Holstein.
- Transport for Wales will also be running a tri-mode Flirt with electric, diesel and battery power.
- The Continental loading gauge, probably allows more batteries than the smaller UK loading gauge.
I think it could be reasonable to assume, that a UK-sized battery-electric Stadler Flirt could have a range of forty miles on batteries.
These could be possible routes for Greater Anglia.
- Norwich and Sheringham – 30 miles
- Norwich and Lowestoft – 23.5 miles
- Norwich and Great Yarmouth – 18 miles
- Ipswich and Felixstowe – 16 miles
- Colchester Town and Sudbury – 20 miles
In addition some partially-electrified routes have gaps less than forty miles. Think Cambridge and Ipswich!
I would not be surprised to see battery trains, quietly gliding around East Anglia.
Would they attract passengers and tourists?
Perhaps Germany and Stadler will give us the Schleswig-Holstein Answer, which will be much more interesting than the Schleswig-Holstein Question.
Economics Of Battery Trains
The article also has this quote from the CEO of Stadler Germany about the economics of battery trains.
It makes us very proud that with the battery-powered Flirt we have not only managed to find an ecological and innovative solution, but have also enabled a clear economic improvement. If we consider the average life of a rail vehicle of around 30 years, battery-operated vehicles are more cost-effective than diesel’.
I think it can also be said, that battery technology will improve continuously in the next thirty years and we should see a corresponding improvement in range and performance.
You don’t get that with diesel.
Hydrogen Or Battery Power?
I would think that Alstom are not happy about this order for battery-powered trains.
- Only a hundred kilometres or so to the West, they are supplying Alstom Coradia iLint trains for a similar network.
- These trains are working well.
- They have teamed up with Linde to supply the hydrogen.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if Schleswig-Holstein had chosen hydrogen trains.
So why did Schleswig-Holstein, choose battery rather than hydrogen trains?
- Provided, the driver or a computer, raises and lowers the pantograph appropriately, there is no difference between an electric train and its battery-electric sibling.
- Systems to charge battery trains can be installed anywhere, there is an electricity supply.
- The electricity supply could be local wind or solar.
- Charging battery trains could be automatic and require no more action from the driver, than checking everything is as it should be and perhaps pushing a button or two. On a bleak miserable day, the driver would remain in the warm and comfortable cab.
- Hydrogen would need to be loaded on the train at a depot or another place with the necessary safety clearance.
- The iLint seats 160 and the Flirt Akku seats 124, so I suspect capacity isn’t much of a problem.
- The Flirt Akku is a train designed for battery-electric operation, whereas the iLint is a modified diesel train, with a noisy and harsh mechanical transmission. It’s like comparing Class 710 trains, with their predecessors on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line; the Class 172 trains.
- I suspect most Germans have talked to a relative or older person, who remembers the Hindenburg.
There is probably little to choose between the two trains, but I believe that the operation of the hydrogen-powered train will be more complicated.
I also don’t know the cost of each train.
As I said earlier, Stadler claim long-term ownership of battery-powered trains is more economic than diesel. Does the same apply to battery against hydrogen power.
Conclusion
I believe we’ll see lots more battery trains.
Thurso Company Powers Up UK’s First Green Train
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the John O’Groat Journal.
Lithium-ion batteries for a hydrogen-powered Class 799 train are not the sort of product, you’d expect to be sourced from the Far North of Scotland.
A Brief Glimpse Of The Class 799 Train On BBC Breakfast
The Class 799 train is being launched today and BBC Breakfast were there with cameras.
These are my thoughts.
A Test Train
Helen Simpson from Porterbrook, said it was very much a test train.
Seats appear to be in some of the cars.
It looks like Birmingham University have sensibly put the hydrogen drive system in one or both of the two central cars, which in the original Class 319 train were given the designations PMSO and MSOL
The Hydrogen Tanks And Fuel Cell
The hydrogen tanks didn’t appear to be unduly large, which suggests, the the train is not going for a very long rang. But it is only a test train.
The fuel cell was clearly marked from Ballard and was just a large anonymous box. I would think, that it was probably upwards of 100 kW.
It should be noted that the Class 319 train was originally a 1,000 kW train, with a top speed of 100 mph and good acceleration.
I’ll be interested to see what size these components are, when they are published.
The Battery System
The battery did appear to be large, but then these are probably not batteries designed to fit the train, but what is available.
As with the hydrogen tanks and fuel cell, sizes would appear to have been chosen large enough to make sure that the train is not significantly less powerful, than current Class 319 trains.
JR East To Test Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trains
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Japan Times.
This is the first paragraph.
East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has announced a plan to test new electric-powered trains using hydrogen fuel cells from fiscal 2021.
It does seem that hydrogen power is being increasingly considered.
Chester To Liverpool Via Runcorn
This new service between Chester and Liverpool Lime Street stations via Runcorn station and the Halton Curve, started a couple of weeks ago.
I took these pictures of the journey.
Note.
- The service was busy, as everybody seemed to be going to Liverpool to prepare for the evening’s match.
- The Class 150 train kept up a good speed, which indicates that Network Rail didn’t cut quality on the link.
- Runcorn is about the halfway point of the journey.
- The route is electrified between Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street stations.
- The Class 150 train was a bit tired.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a hybrid train working this route.
- Transport for Wales have ordered some electro-diesel Class 769 trains.
- Alstom are converting Class 321 trains into hydrogen-powered Class 321 Breeze trains at nearby Widnes.
- Porterbrook are converting Class 350 trains into Battery/FLEX trains.
- Hitachi are talking to ScotRail about Class 385 trains with batteries.
- I’m also sure Bombardier have a battery-electric Aventra.
Operation would be as follows.
- All these trains work be capable of 100 mph using 25 KVAC overhead electrification between Liverpool Lime Street and Runcorn stations.
- Power changeover would be at Runcorn station.
- Between Runcorn to Chester stations is only about fourteen miles.. This will be well within battery range in a few years.
Transport for Wales will be obtaining trains from a crowded market.
More Halton Curve Services
Under Planned Improvements in the Wikipedia entry for Transport for Wales, this is said.
Introduction of a new hourly Liverpool to Llandudno and Shrewsbury service, and a new two-hourly Liverpool to Cardiff Central service from December 2022.
Adding these to the current hourly service, this would mean that two trains per hour (tph) would normally run between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester stations, with three trains in every alternate hour.
I think that, there would be a marketing advantage in running hybrid trains on these routes. Hydrogen would be ideal, as these would not need recharging like battery trains after a long trip.
To go through the single-track Halton Curve appears to take trains about five minutes, so up to eight tph could probably be feasible, which would mean four tph between Liverpool and Chester via Runcorn in both directions.
If Trains for Wales are going to compete with the Merseyrail electric services, they need a four tph frequency in both directions.
Flexible Ticketing
Currently, if you want to buy a ticket between the Chester and Liverpool Lime Street, you have to buy an appropriate ticket for your chosen route.
Surely, tourists and others might like to do the out and back journeys by a different route.
If London Underground and some train companies can share ticketing, then surely Merseyrail and other train companies can do the same.
Conclusion
This new service will be surprisingly well-used and needs an iconic hybrid train.
- Diesel is not appropriate for the long term, although in Northern Connect Between Chester And Leeds To Start In May, I did report a rumour that Class 769 trains might be running between Chester and Leeds.
- Hydrogen is non-polluting and has a longer range, that could make services between Liverpool and Holyhead possible.
- Battery will probably need a charging infrastructure.
My money is on hydrogen power.
Breeze Hydrogen Multiple-Unit Order Expected Soon
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Alstom Transport is hopeful of confirming an order before the end of this year for its Breeze hydrogen multiple-unit trains being developed in partnership with leasing company Eversholt Rail, suggesting that the first trains could enter service ‘as early as 2022’.
It then goes out to fill out some of the thinking behind the Alstom Breeze hydrogen-powered train.
The Breeze Is A Stop-Gap
Alstom are quoted as indicating the Breeze is an interim solution, until the next generation of train is available.
But after a ride to Southend recently in a Class 321 Renatus, I’m sure that the ride and passenger acceptance will be of a high standard.
And that’s what counts. Hydrogen is only the train’s personal power supply.
Alstom Are Not Building A Suburban Trundler
The Alstom Coradia iLint is not an exciting train.
- It has a cruising speed of 87 mph.
- It has a range of 370-500 miles.
- It has a noisy mechanical transmission.
- It always runs on hydrogen-power.
- The prototypes have covered 100,000 km.
In my view, it is very much a first generation compromise design.
The article says more about the Alstom Breeze.
- It has a slightly faster cruising speed of 90 mph
- The Breeze will have 50% more power than the iLint. Does this mean better acceleration and/or a longer and heavier train?
- It will have a 1,000 km range.
- It will have regenerative braking to the train’s batteries.
- It will have a new AC traction package, as does a Class 321 Renatus. So will the two systems be the same? Or at least similar?
I am also fairly sure, the train will be able to use electrification of both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail, as Class 321 trains can now!
Train Capacity
This is said about train capacity.
Despite the loss of some seating space, each set of three 20 m vehicles would provide slightly more capacity than a two-car DMU with 23 m cars which it would typically replace.
The Class 172/0 trains, that are two-car 23 metre diesel multiple units, have 124 seats.
In Hydrogen Trains Ready To Steam Ahead, I estimated that a three-car Alstom Breeze would have a seating capacity of around 140 seats, with the ability to perhaps take an additional 160 standees.
So was my seat estimate fairly good? I also think, that as the Breeze has been designed with bags of grunt, I suspect that the basic train could be increased in size by adding extra trailer cars.
After all, the legendary Class 442 train is a five-car train, with a power-car in the middle. South Western Railway, think they are worth pulling out of the scrapyard and refurbishing to run expresses between Waterloo and Portsmouth.
I am fairly certain, that Alstom can create a five-car Class 321 Breeze with the following characteristics.
- A capacity of about three hundred seats
- A smaller three-car train would have 140 seats.
- A near-100 mph top speed on hydrogen-power.
- A 100 mph top speed on electrification.
- A 1000 km range on hydrogen.
- Regenerative braking to an on-board battery.
- The ability to use 25 KVAC overhead and/or 750 VDC third rail electrification.
The trains could have the ability to run as pairs to increase capacity.
The train would be ideal for the following routes.
- Liverpool and North Wales via Chester
- Norwich and Derby
- Newcastle and Carlisle
- Preston and Carlisle via Barrow
- Cardiff and the South Coast of England
- Borders Railway
- Southampton and Ashford
- Waterloo and Exeter
All of these routes have partial electrification, which would reduce the amount of hydrogen needed to be carried around.
Now that is an interesting multi-variable calculation!
Hydrogen Infrastructure
Alstom seem to be developing infrastructure solutions to supply hydrogen for fleets of ten or more trains, which could be shared with other applications. The obvious one could be where a train depot and a fleet of buses share a facility in say a large city like Exeter, which has an extensive diesel train network.
The article also says this about the source of hydrogen.
Ideally, the trains would use ‘green’ hydrogen manufactured by electrolysis using surplus renewable energy rather than ‘brown’ hydrogen from steam methane reforming.
I agree wholeheartedly with that!
Delivery In 2022?
Consider what has already been achieved in other projects.
- Alstom have proved they can generate enough electricity to power a practical train.
- Eversholt have proved that you can turn Class 321 trains into comfortable and efficient 100 mph Class 321 Renatus trains for routes up to a hundred miles.
- Several classes of Mark 3-based electrical multiple units have been re-engined with AC traction, including the Class 321 Renatus.
- Engineers all over the UK have modified Mark 3-based coaches and multiple units to create better and more-efficient trains.
Helping delivery of the project, is a legacy of drawings and philosophy from British Rail Engineering.
If Alstom say 2022, I believe that that could be a feasible date.
Conclusion
The ghost of British Rail Engineering is certainly a benign one allowing all sorts of worthwhile development paths.
Vivarail And Arcola Announce Partnership To Bring Emission-Free Trains To The UK
The title of this post is the same as this press release from Vivarail.
These are the first two paragraphs
Vivarail, designers and manufacturers of the Class 230 trains, and hydrogen fuel cell specialists Arcola Energy today announced a long-term collaboration.
The companies share a determination to help de-carbonise the UK’s transport system. Vivarail has already designed and run an emission-free battery train whilst Arcola lead the market in supplying power systems for efficient fuel cell electric vehicles, primarily buses, to the UK. Working together the companies will develop a hydrogen/battery hybrid train.
It strikes me that this could be a good fit.
Powering A Bus
In New Facility To Power Liverpool’s Buses With Hydrogen, I described Arcola Energy’s involvement in a project to create and fuel hydrogen-powered buses in conjunction with Alexander Dennis.
- A typical hybrid double-decker bus like a New Routemaster has a battery capacity of 55 kWh.
- If these Liverpool hydrogen-powered double-decker buses have serial hybrid transmission like the New Routemaster, I could envisage them having a battery of up to 100 kWh, as let’s face it, the New Routemaster design is now eight years old and battery technology has moved on.
So the Arcola Energy-sourced fuel cell must be able to continuously top-up, the battery, in the same manner as the diesel engine on a hybrid bus.
Sit in the back of a New Routemaster and you can hear the engine cutting in and out. It doesn’t seem to work very hard, even on routes like the 73, which operate at high loadings.
Powering A Class 230 Train
Vivarail’s battery-powered Class 230 train, has a battery capacity of 106 kWh.
This size of battery could certainly be changed by a hydrogen fuel cell.
But could a hydrogen fuel cell provide enough power to keep the train running?
- Vivarail are clamming a range of fifty miles, which means that their two-car battery trains are consuming around 2 kWh for every mile.
- I will assume the train is travelling at its operating speed of sixty mph, which is a mile every minute.
- To keep the battery topped up would need 2 kWh to be produced every minute.
A hydrogen fuel cell with a rating of 120 kW would be needed to power the train continuously. But as the fuel cell would only be topping up the battery, I suspect that a smaller fuel cell would be sufficient.
The Ballard fuel cell is a HD variant of their FCveloCity family.
This page on the Ballard web site is the data sheet of an HD fuel cell of their FCveloCity family.
- The fuel cells come in three sizes 60, 85 and 100 kW
- The largest fuel cell would appear to be around 1.2 m x 1 m x 0.5 m and weigh around 400 Kg.
- The fuel cell has an associated cooling subsystem, that can provide heat for the train.
This Ballard fuel cell would appear to be capable of mounting under the floor of a train.
There are probably several other fuel cells that will fit the Class 230 train.
Arcola should know the best hydrogen fuel cell for the application, in terms of size, power and cost.
The Concept Train
Vivarail’s press release describes a concept train.
The concept train will be used to demonstrate the system capability and test performance. Vivarail’s production hydrogen trains will consist of 4-cars, with 2 battery driving motor cars and 2 intermediate cars housing the fuel cell and tanks.
Vivarail seem very certain of the formation of production trains.
I am not surprised at this certaincy.
- The mathematics of battery-powered and hydrogen-powered trains is well known.
- Vivarail have experience of running their battery-powered prototype.
- Arcola have experience of the capabilities of hydrogen-power.
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some commonality between the Alexander Dennis and Vivarail installations.
Range Of A Hydrogen-Powered Class 230 Train
Nothing is said in Vivarail’s press release about the range on hydrogen.
In Hydrogen Trains Ready To Steam Ahead, I examined Alstom’s Class 321 Breeze hydrogen train, based on an article in The Times.
I said this about range.
The Times gives the range of the train as in excess of 625 miles
The Class 321 Breeze looks to be designed for longer routes than the Class 230 train.
I would suspect that a hydrogen-powered Class 230 train would have the range to do a typical day’s work without refuelling.
Refuelling A Hydrogen-Powered Class 230 Train
I don’t think this will be a problem as Arcola appear to have the expertise to provide a complete solution.
Conclusion
This is a co-operation, where both parties are bringing strengths to the venture.
Alstom Coradia iLint Hydrogen-Powered Train Video
I’ve just found this video from Alstom.
Intriguingly, the video was filmed at Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof, which is in another part of Germany, about two hundred kilometres to the South-East of Hamburg.
There does seem to be several local services radiating from the City on lines without electrification.
The Anonymous Widower 