The Anonymous Widower

Avanti West Coast Increases Liverpool – London Services With Launch Of Electric Evero Trains

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the sub-heading.

Avanti West Coast officially launched the Class 807 electric only-version of its Hitachi-built Evero trainsets into service on November 11. This enables the operator to offer an additional weekday return service between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.

On the 14th of November 2024, these services were run by new Class 807 trains.

  • 3F79 – 807001 – 2100 – Northampton to Liverpool Lime Street
  • 3F80 – 807001 – 0023 – Liverpool Lime Street to Edge Hill Depot
  • 5A99 – 807001 – 0836 – Edge Hill Depot to Liverpool Lime Street
  • 1A99 – 807001 – 0901 – Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston – 02:40
  • 1F12 – 807003 – 0743 – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street – 03:07
  • 1A28 – 807003 – 1043 – Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston – 02:20

Note,

  1. I have shown all Class 807 movements that happened. Some possibly didn’t!
  2. There appear to be extra services, which I’ve marked with their times.
  3. Time seems to be available to go to Edge Hill Depot if needed.
  4. I suspect an open return ticket can be used on any train, that’s running.

Services seem to be slow, but they can be booked.

Avanti Are Ramping Up The Service

I suspect that as they add more trains, times will come down and a stop at Liverpool South Parkway will be added.

The Class 390 trains currently used on the Liverpool route are too long for Liverpool South Parkway station.

But seven-car Class 807 trains would fit easily.

The shorter and lighter seven-car Class 807 trains may well have faster acceleration and deceleration than the nine- or eleven-car Class 390 trains with their heavy tilting mechanism.

Could this extra performance mean that the Class 807 trains could still meet the timetable with extra stops?

In Is Liverpool Going To Get High Speed One-Point-Five?, I discussed various options for the London and Liverpool service.

I believe that a practical timetable like this could work.

  • Eleven-car Class 390 train – one tph – Non-stop or perhaps a single stop in the Midlands – Under two hours
  • Seven-car Class 807 train – one tph – Stopping at Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway – Current time or better

Note.

  1. An hourly service between London and Liverpool in under two hours would surely be a passenger magnet.
  2. Two tph would be a 43 % hourly increase in the number of seats between London and Liverpool.
  3. There would be better connections between Liverpool Lime Street and the East Midlands.

The Railway Gazette article also says this.

From the December timetable change AWC will supplement the current hourly Liverpool – London service with an extra two trains each way every weekday and a third service on Saturdays.

In the short term, AWC will not be delivering the long-standing plan for a half-hourly service on the route, but further services are to be introduced over the next year.

One constraint relates to the power supply. Network Rail has identified two locations where additional electric services cannot currently be accommodated, and discussions over a resolution are ongoing.

A fast service could also be applied to one of the London and Manchester services.

It should be noted, that the two hours and eight minutes record between Manchester and London Euston was set by an InterCity 225 in 1992, so perhaps a seven-car Class 807 could do better than a Class 390 train.

Could A Pair Of Class 807 Trains Leave Euston For Liverpool And Manchester, And Split At Crewe?

Train lengths are as follows.

  • Seven-car Class 807 train – 182 metres.
  • Fourteen-car Class 807 train – 364 metres.
  • Nine-car Class 390 train – 217.5 metres.
  • Eleven-car Class 390 train – 365.3 metres.
  • Caledonian Sleeper – 374 metres.

I suspect with perhaps a small amount of platform lengthening, a pair of Class 807 could be fitted into all stations, where they would need to call.

This might be a way of adding extra capacity and faster services to Manchester, without needing an extra path on the West Coast Main Line.

Could A Single Class 807 Train Call At Manchester Airport Station?

The platforms at Manchester Airport station are 192 metres long, so a single Class 807 train should fit.

This would allow an hourly service from Manchester Airport to the South, without a change at Manchester Piccadilly or Crewe.

To save paths, it could split and join with the second Liverpool service at Crewe.

Conclusion

The new Class 807 trains could increase performance to between London Euston and both Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.

November 16, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service

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

These four paragraphs outline FirstGroup’s initial plans.

FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has today submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between London and Sheffield to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its award-winning Hull Trains business, building on their successful existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between Hull and London.

FirstGroup’s new proposals comprise two return journeys a day from London King’s Cross, calling at Retford, Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield, and the company aims to provide a faster link between London and Sheffield than alternative services. Almost three quarters of trips between London and Sheffield are currently made by car, with a further 9% of trips made by coach, and a competitively priced new rail offering will help stimulate a shift in transport mode of choice from road to rail.

The new proposed route will give Sheffield the first regular service from London King’s Cross since 1968 and will also give Worksop in Nottinghamshire the first regular direct London trains in decades. FirstGroup estimates there are 350,000 people in the Worksop and Woodhouse catchment areas who will have direct rail access to London because of these proposals. A sizeable number of rail users in these areas currently drive to Doncaster station to pick up faster services to London rather than travelling via Sheffield, and a convenient rail offering from local stations will also help to reduce the number of these car journeys.

Note.

  1. The press release says this is only the first phase.
  2. It appears to be an extension of Hull Trains.
  3. Comments on a news story based on the press release in The Times, have been generally positive.

These are my thoughts.

The Two Routes Are Similar

Consider.

  • Beverley is 44.3 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Temple Hirst Junction.
  • Hull is 36.1 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Temple Hirst Junction.
  • Sheffield is 23.5 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Retford station.
  • There is no electrification at Beverley, Hull or Sheffield.

Note.

  1. Trains must be capable of having a range sufficient to go from the East Coast Main Line to the destination and back again.
  2. It is slightly surprising that Sheffield station is closest to the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
  3. Hull Train’s electro-diesel Class 802 trains regularly handle the 88.6 miles to Beverley and back.

It does look like an appropriate number of Class 802 trains could handle Hull Trains current and future services to Beverley, Hull and Sheffield.

Hull Trains Need Ten-Car Trains

Consider.

  • In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I show some details of Hull Trains using a pair of five-car trains.
  • I’ve since seen ten-car Hull Trains regularly.
  • There were two ten-car services on the 29th December 2023 between London King’s Cross and Hull.

Hull Trains must procure enough trains for all possible scenarios.

Intermediate Stations Of The Two Routes

Intermediate stations are.

  • Going North from London King’s Cross to Hull, trains call at Stevenage (limited), Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough.
  • Going North from London King’s Cross to Sheffield, trains call at Retford, Worksop and Woodhouse.

There are only a small number of stops on the Sheffield service. Is this to reduce the journey time as much as possible?

What Will Be The Time Of The London King’s Cross And Sheffield Service?

Consider.

  • Non-stop trains take 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Retford, which is 138.6 miles, so it’s an average speed of 101.4 mph.
  • Woolmer Green and Retford are 111.7 miles and will in a couple of years, be digitally signalled.
  • Non-stop trains take 66 minutes between Woolmer Green and Retford, which is an average speed of 112 mph.
  • I have found a direct Retford and Sheffield train, that takes 31 minutes for the 23.5 miles with six stops, which is an average speed of 45 mph.
  • The Retford and Sheffield section has a mostly 60 mph maximum speed.

I can now build a table of times between King’s Cross and Retford based on the average speed North of Woolmer Green.

  • 125 mph – 72 minutes
  • 130 mph – 70 minutes
  • 135 mph – 68 minutes
  • 140 mph – 66 minutes

Note.

  1. Getting a high average speed using the power of digital signalling can save several minutes.
  2. I have measured an InterCity 125 averaging 125 mph on that section.

I can now build a table of times between Retford and Sheffield based on the average speed.

  • 45 mph – 31 minutes
  • 50 mph – 28 minutes
  • 60 mph – 24 minutes
  • 70 mph – 20 minutes
  • 80 mph – 18 minutes

Note.

  1. The planned service is expected to stop only twice after Retford, so if we take off two minutes for each of the four stops not taken, this could reduce the time between Retford and Sheffield by 8 minutes.
  2. There will be a couple of minutes to add for the stop at Retford.
  3. I feel a typical journey with 125 mph to Retford, 50 mph to Sheffield, could take 94 minutes
  4. Currently, the fastest London St. Pancras to Sheffield take around 116-118 minutes.

Hull Trains new service  could save 22-24 minutes  on the current service.

I also feel a fast journey could involve 130 mph to Retford, 60 mph to Sheffield, could take 88 minutes.

Hull Trains new service  could save a few minutes over half-an-hour.

Could The Time Of The London King’s Cross And Sheffield Service Be Under 90 Minutes?

I reckon the following is possible.

  • After the digital signalling is completed between King’s Cross and Retford, I suspect that a 135 mph average speed can be maintained between Woolmer Green and Retford. This would mean that a King’s Cross and Retford time of 68 minutes would be possible.
  • If Network Rail improve the track between Retford and Sheffield, I believe that a 70 mph average could be achieved on the Retford and Sheffield section. This would mean that a Retford and Sheffield time of 20 minutes would be possible.
  • I would expect at least six minutes would be saved by missing stops.

This gives a time of 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

In Anxiety Over HS2 Eastern Leg Future, I said that High Speed Two’s promised London and Sheffield time via a dedicated track would be 87 minutes.

It looks to me that running under full digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line, Hull Trains can beat the HS2 time.

Could Hitachi’s Battery-Electric Trains Handle The Routes?

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

This is the sub-heading

Accelerate the decarbonisation of intercity rail with batteries.

These paragraphs outline the philosophy of the design of the trains.

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.

Wouldn’t it be great, if we could take the diesel engine out of our cars and replace it with an electric power pack?

Paul Daniels would’ve classed it as engineering magic.

But it’s an old engineer’s trick.

As a fifteen year old, I spent time in a rolling mill, building and fitting replacement control systems on large machines. Transistors were used to replace electronic valves and relays.

It’s certainly possible to create a battery pack, that is plug-compatible with an existing diesel generator, that responds to the same control inputs and gives the same outputs.

At the extreme end of this technology, there would be no need to change any of the train’s software.

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, these were my conclusions for the performance.

  • 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 the East Coast Main Line to Beverley is a round trip is 88.6 miles, I suspect that Hull Trains’s five-car Class 802 trains will need to be fitted with a full-complement of three batteries.

Will Hull Trains Have An Identical Fleet Of Trains?

An identical fleet must have advantages for train staff, maintenance staff and above all passengers.

I believe FirstGroup have two choices.

  • They buy an appropriately-sized batch of identical Class 802 trains.
  • They convert their current fleet to battery-electric operation and buy an appropriately-sized batch of identical new trains.

Note.

  1. The second option means that they fully-decarbonise Hull Trains.
  2. Neither option would need any new infrastructure.
  3. I feel this means that this order is more likely to go to Hitachi.

It’ll probably all come down to the accountants.

Retford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks around Retford station.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified and are the East Coast Main Line.
  2. The black ones aren’t electrified.
  3. Doncaster is to the North.
  4. The black line to the East goes to Lincoln
  5. The black line to the West goes to Sheffield
  6. The red line going South-East goes to Peterborough and London.

The unusual loop allows trains to connect from one direction to another.

This second OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks in more detail.

Note.

  1. As before red lines are electrified and black ones aren’t
  2. Platforms 1 and 2 are on the East Coast Main Line.
  3. Platforms 3 and 4 are on the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.

This third OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms in more detail.

Note.

  1. The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
  2. The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
  3. Northbound tracks are to the left of each pair of lines.
  4. The dark blue track is the 10 mph chord that connects the Northbound relief line of the East Coast Main Line to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
  5. Platform 1 is on the Southbound relief line.
  6. Platform 2 is on the Northbound relief line.
  7. Unusually, both platforms are on the same side of the line.
  8. In The Lengths Of Hitachi Class 800/801/802 Trains, I state that the full length of an InterCity 225 train is 245.2 metres.
  9. I suspect that both platforms can accommodate a full length InterCity 225, as the trains have been calling at Retford since the 1980s.

I doubt Retford station has any problem accommodating a pair of Class 802 trains, which it does regularly.

How Do Northbound Trains Go To Sheffield From Retford Station?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks to the South of Retford station in detail.

Note.

  1. The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
  2. The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
  3. Northbound tracks are to the left of each pair of lines.

Trains needing to stop in Retford station will need to cross to the Northbound relief line to enter Platform 2 at Retford station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the curve that connects Platform 2 at Retford station to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line to Sheffield.

Note.

  1. The green tracks are the 60 mph Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
  2. Sheffield is to the West.
  3. The blue tracks are the curve that connects Platform 2 in Retford station to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
  4. There appears to be a grade-separated junction, where the two lines join to the West of Retford station.

A Northbound train to Sheffield will take curve and then join the line to Sheffield.

How Do Southbound Trains Go From Sheffield Through Retford Station?

I suspect trains do the opposite from a train going to Sheffield.

The train takes the curve and then stops in Platform 2 facing South.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks to the South of Retford station in detail.

When the train is cleared by the signals to go South, it will leave Retford station going South on the Northbound relief line.

Note that on the map there are two crossovers, which the train will take to get on the Southbound fast line for Newark and London.

As a Control Engineer, I suspect this is the sort of manoeuvre, that modern digital signalling will make slicker and safer.

How Do Northbound Trains Go To Hull From Retford Station?

On leaving the station, the train will continue along the relief line until it merges with the Northbound fast line for Doncaster.

This is exactly as any Northbound train stopping at Retford does now.

How Do Southbound Trains Go From Hull Through Retford Station?

Currently, trains from Hull stop in Platform 1 on their way to London.

  • Trains needing to stop in Retford station will need to cross to the Southbound relief line to enter Platform 1 at Retford station.
  • When the train is cleared by the signals to go South, it will leave Retford station going South on the Southbound relief line.
  • The Southbound relief line joins the Southbound fast line to the South of the station.

This is exactly as any Southbound train stopping at Retford does now.

Could A Hull And A Sheffield Service Run As A Pair And Split And Join At Retford Station?

Consider.

  • Class 802 trains, as used by Hull Trains are designed to be run as a pair of trains, with easy coupling and uncoupling between the two trains.
  • Hull Trains regularly run services as a pair of Class 802 trains.
  • A pair of trains could leave King’s Cross. They would then split at a convenient station, after which the two trains go to different destinations.
  • There are advantages with respect to infrastructure charges.

I feel that Hull Trains two services to Sheffield and Hull/Beverley could work as a pair.

  • A pair of trains could leave King’s Cross.
  • At Retford station they would split, with one train going to Hull and the other to Sheffield.

Coming South they would join at Retford.

How Would Splitting Of A Hull And Sheffield Service Be Performed At Retford Station?

The procedure would be something like this.

  • As the pair of train is stopping in Retford station, it would use the relief line to enter Platform 2.
  • It would stop in Platform 2.
  • The trains would be uncoupled.
  • The front train would go to its destination.
  • The rear train would go to its destination.

Note.

  1. As the track to Doncaster and Hull is faster, the front train should probably be for Hull.
  2. Platform 2 is electrified, so the Sheffield train could top up its batteries .
  3. The Sheffield train could lower its pantograph.

Uncoupling takes about two minutes.

How Would Joining Of A Hull And Sheffield Service Be Performed At Retford Station?

Consider.

  • Joining would have to be performed in Platform 2, as there is no route for a train from Sheffield to access Platform 1.
  • North of Retford station there are two convenient crossovers, to allow a train to cross to the Northbound relief line. There are also a couple of loops, where trains could wait.
  • As this is coal-mining country, perhaps, they were part of a freight route between Sheffield and Doncaster?

But this infrastructure would allow, a train from Hull to access Platform 2 at Retford station.

As the Sheffield train can easily access Platform 2, the two trains could meet in Platform 2 and then be joined together for a run to London.

Is There A Problem With Splitting And Joining  Of the Hull And Sheffield Services?

Earlier, I said these were the stops of the two services.

  • Going North from London King’s Cross to Hull, trains call at Stevenage (limited), Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough.
  • Going North from London King’s Cross to Sheffield, trains call at Retford, Worksop and Woodhouse.

Surely, if the trains were travelling as a pair, they would need to stop at the same stations to the South of Retford.

But modern digital signalling will allow trains to run closer together, so perhaps this would be the procedure going North.

  • The two trains start in the same platform at King’s Cross, with the Sheffield train in front of the Hull train.
  • The two trains leave King’s Cross a safe number of minutes apart.
  • At its Stevenage and Grantham stops, the Hull train will tend to increase the distance between the two trains.
  • The Sheffield train would stop in Platform 2 at Retford station, so that space is left for the Hull train.
  • The Hull train will stop behind the Sheffield train in Platform 2 at Retford station.
  • The Sheffield train will leave when ready.
  • The Hull train will leave when ready.

And this would be the procedure going South.

  • The train from Sheffield would line up in Platform 2 at Retford station.
  • The train from Hull would line up in Platform 1 at Retford station.
  • The train from Sheffield would leave when everything is ready and the train is cleared by the signalling system.
  • The train from Hull would leave  a safe number of minutes behind the train from Sheffield.
  • At its Grantham and Stevenage stops, the Hull train will tend to increase the distance between the two trains.
  • The trains could share a platform at King’s Cross.

The digital signalling and the driver’s Mark 1 eyeballs will keep the Hull train, a safe distance behind the faster Sheffield train.

The Capacity Of The Lincoln And Sheffield Line

Looking at the Sheffield and Lincoln Line, it has only an hourly train, that calls at Darnall, Woodhouse, Kiverton Park, Kiverton Bridge, Shireoaks and Worksop between Retford and Sheffield.

  • I would suspect that there is enough spare capacity for Hull Trains to run a one train per two hours (tp2h) service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
  • If LNER feel that a 1 tp2h frequency is viable for Harrogate, Lincoln and other places, surely Hull and East Sheffield could support a similar service from King’s Cross.

If the services could be run by battery-electric trains, capable of running at 140 mph on the East Coast Main Line and giving times of ninety minutes to Sheffield, this could be a success.

 

Could Woodhouse Station Become A Transport Hub?

This Google Map shows Woodhouse station.

Note.

  1. It is certainly surrounded by a lot of houses.
  2. Could it be provided with car-parking?

Although, as this picture shows it is not blessed with lots of facilities.

Woodhouse Station

But.

Woodhouse station could be an interchange or it could become something bigger like a hub station.

How Many Sheffield Services Per Day Could Be Run?

If the Hull and Sheffield trains run as a flight under control of the digital signalling, this will mean that every Hull train can be paired with a Sheffield train.

  • There are five trains per day (tpd) to and from Hull and two to and from Beverley.
  • It seems a maximum of one tpd in both directions can be a ten-car train.
  • Two five-car trains could fit in a platform at King’s Cross.

I suspect that the maximum number of trains per day to and from Sheffield is the same as for Hull. i.e. seven tpd.

But there is no reason, if they have enough trains and paths are available, that Hull Trains couldn’t add extra services to both destinations.

Onward From Sheffield

Several of those, who have commented on the new service have suggested that the service could go further than Sheffield, with Manchester and Leeds being given specific mentions.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at the Northern end of Sheffield station.

Note.

  1. The pink tracks at the East are the Sheffield Supertram.
  2. Trains to and from Barnsley, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln and Retford access the station from the Northern end.
  3. Trains to and from Chesterfield, Derby, London, Manchester and Stockport access the station from the Southern end.
  4. The tracks in Sheffield station are numbered 1 to 8 from the West.
  5. There are five through platforms. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8 and two bay platforms at either end.
  6. An extension of the service to Manchester via the Hope Valley Line, could go straight through the station.
  7. An extension of the service to Barnsley, Huddersfield or Leeds, would mean the train reversing at Sheffield.

It looks like an extension to Manchester Piccadilly over the recently upgraded Hope Valley Line would be the easiest extension. But would Avanti West Coast, who have FirstGroup as a shareholder want the competition?

Recently, it has been announced that the Penistone Line to Barnsley and Huddersfield will be upgraded to accept two trains per hour (tph) and allow faster running.

Because Sheffield could be around eighty minutes from London, there could be some smart times to and from  the capital.

  • Meadowhall in 90 minutes
  • Barnsley in 112 minutes.
  • Huddersfield in 140 minutes.

Huddersfield could be almost twenty minutes faster than the route via Leeds.

Comments From The Times

These are some readers comments from The Times.

  • Hope the prices are competitive with LNER. I rarely go to London from Chesterfield with EMR as they’re so expensive. LNER from Newark is much cheaper but a service from Worksop for me would be perfect.
  • Excellent News in so many ways. I hope it really takes off which could help ease the congestion on the M1 and also thin out overcrowding on busy LNER services. It really does deserve to succeed.
  • This is excellent news. The Lumo service has been a game changer for me and those living in the north east.

The public seem in favour.

Conclusion

I really like this proposal from FirstGroup.

  • It has the possibility to provide Sheffield with a fast train link to London.
  • It could run about six trains per day.
  • It will be faster than High Speed Two was proposed.

It could be the first service of High Speed Yorkshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 7, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability

The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the January 2024 edition of Modern Railways.

This is the text of the article.

LNER’s new fleet of CAF tri-mode trains, for which an order was confirmed in November, has been specified with the capability  to operate via the Joint Line via Spalding and Lincoln in case of closures on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.

CAF will supply 10×10-car trains with overhead electric, battery and diesel capability, financed by Porterbrook. The inclusion of diesel engines as part of the winning bid, rather than a straightforward battery-electric  unit, has surprised some observers, but LNER’s specification was that the fleet should have sufficient self-powered capability to cover the length of the joint line, which is approximately 90 miles. This is currently to be  considered to be beyond the scope of battery-power alone, although as the technology evolves diesel engines could be replaced by batteries. The configuration of diesel engines and batteries within the sets has yet to be decided.

LNER frequently uses the Joint Line as a diversionary route, both during planned engineering work and at times of disruption, but only its bi-mode Azumas are currently able to traverse it under their own power (electric sets have been hauled by a diesel locomotive, but this is now a very rare occurrence). The new CAF fleet will replace the InterCity 225 electric fleet, and the self-power capability will provide valuable resilience to LNER to divert via non-electrified routes.

While the ‘225s’ are currently confined to services between King’s Cross and Leeds/York, if the enhanced December 2024 timetable goes ahead as currently planned (see story above) they will operate north of York once again on some of the hourly services which will terminate at Newcastle. However, LNER is having to limit the use of the sets  before the Class 91 locomotives and Mk 4 coaches come due for major overhauls: the decision to retain 12 locos and eight rakes of coaches was based on the intended timescale for replacing the fleet at the time, but confirming the order for the new CAF tri-modes has taken longer than anticipated, largely due to delays in receiving Government approval to place the order.

This article has got me thinking.

The InterCity225 Trains Need Replacing Urgently

The Modern Railways article states that the need to replace the InterCity 225s is getting urgent, as more than the Azumas will be needed for the December 2024 timetable and the InterCity 225s are getting to the end of their economic life.

As LNER have been doing reasonably well lately, a cock-up caused by lack of trains at Christmas 2024 would be the last thing they need.

Currently, LNER have enough Mark 4 coaches for eight trains, so ordering ten new CAF tri-mode trains will allow for a small amount of extra services.

The CAF tri-mode trains were only ordered in November 2023, so getting them delivered for December 2024 would be tight.

As I write this on the 31st December 2023, trains from King’s Cross to Leeds included.

  • 5 x InterCity225
  • 5 x 10-car Azuma
  • 7 x 9-car Azuma
  • 2 x 5-car Azuma

So there were InterCity 225s running on that day.

A Few Distances Around Lincolnshire

I believe that because of offshore wind, interconnectors and other renewable energy developments, that Lincolnshire will become an energy powerhouse, supporting the East Midlands and also exporting electricity and hydrogen to Europe through pipelines and interconnectors.

Because of this and other developments, I believe that rail passenger traffic to and around the county will increase significantly.

These are a few selected distances.

  • Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles
  • Grantham and Skegness – 58.2 miles
  • Lincoln and Doncaster – 36.8 miles
  • Lincoln and Newark – 16.8 miles
  • Lincoln and Peterborough – 54.8 miles
  • Lincoln and Cleethorpes – 47.2 miles

Note.

  1. This means that the length of the Joint Line, which between Werrington Junction and where it rejoins the East Coast Main Line to the South of Doncaster is no more than ninety miles. This ninety mile distance was assumed in the Modern Railways article.
  2. Peterborough and Cleethorpes via Lincoln is ninety-two miles.
  3. I estimate that around four miles could be easily electrified at Werrington, which would reduce these two distances by four miles.
  4. Newark and Cleethorpes via Lincoln is sixty-four miles.

It looks like if a battery-electric train had a range of 92 miles and there was charging at Cleethorpes and Skegness, Lincolnshire could have a first class zero-carbon rail service.

CAF Tri-Mode Trains And The Joint Line

This is the first sentence in the Modern Railways article.

LNER’s new fleet of CAF tri-mode trains, for which an order was confirmed in November, has been specified with the capability  to operate via the Joint Line via Spalding and Lincoln in case of closures on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.

Note.

  1. The Modern Railways article states the Joint Line is approximately 90 miles.
  2. As I stated earlier with some strategically placed electrification at Werrington and South of Doncaster, this distance without electrification can probably be shortened by a few miles.

It looks like any service run by a CAF tri-mode train will be able to use the Joint Line.

Hitachi Class 801 Trains And The Joint Line

Unless the Joint Line is electrified or the all-electric Class 801 trains are fitted with batteries of a sufficient size the Class 801 trains will not be able to use the Joint Line.

Hitachi Class 800/802 Trains And The Joint Line

If currently, the Class 800/802 trains can handle the Joint Line on their diesel engines, they can continue to do this.

Hitachi Class 803 Trains And The Joint Line

Unless the Joint Line is electrified or Class 803 trains are fitted with batteries of a sufficient size the Class 803 trains will not be able to use the Joint Line.

Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries And The Joint Line

Note that Lumo’s Class 803 trains are already fitted with an emergency battery for hotel power. So Hitachi must have information on how their batteries perform in service.

This press release from Hitachi, which is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20% announced the start of Hitachi’s battery-electric program in December 2020.

This is a paragraph.

The projected improvements in battery technology – particularly in power output and charge – create opportunities to replace incrementally more diesel engines on long distance trains. With the ambition to create a fully electric-battery intercity train – that can travel the full journey between London and Penzance – by the late 2040s, in line with the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target.

Hitachi have now published this page on their web site, which is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.

The page has this sub-heading.

Accelerate the decarbonisation of intercity rail with batteries

These are the first two paragraphs.

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.

It appears to be a masterful application of an old electrical or software engineer’s trick.

In the 1960s, I spent time in two summer holidays building transistorised control systems in a rolling mills to replace obsolete control systems that used thermionic valves and relays.

Are Hitachi just replacing a diesel power pack with a battery pack, that has the same power and control functionality?

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I looked at Hitachi’s published data sheet, which has these bullet points.

  • 750kW peak power
  • Weight neutral
  • At least 20% lower CO2 emissions
  • 70km on non-electrified routes
  • 20% reduction in whole life maintenance costs
  • Up to 30% fuel cost savings
  • Zero emissions in and out of stations
  • Charge on the move
  • 10 year life span

Note.

  1. 750 kW peak power, is around the power of the diesel-engine, that will be replaced.
  2. I wouldn’t be surprised that powerwise, the battery pack looks like a diesel engine.
  3. Weight neutral means that acceleration and performance will be unchanged. I suspect this means that current timetables can be achieved.
  4. Batteries are easier to maintain than diesels.
  5. It is stated that a train can be fully-decarbonised.

I have a feeling these trains are no ordinary battery-electric trains.

This paragraph, that I quoted earlier gives details on battery range.

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.

If one battery can give seventy kilometres or 43.5 miles, what distances would be possible in the various Hitachi Class 80x trains on the UK rail network?

  • Five-car Class 800 – Three diesel engines
  • Nine-car Class 800 – Five diesel engines
  • Five-car Class 801 – One diesel engine
  • Nine-car Class 801 – One diesel engine
  • Five-car Class 802 – Three diesel engines
  • Nine-car Class 802 – Five diesel engines
  • Five-car Class 803 – One battery
  • Five-car Class 805 – Three diesel engines
  • Seven-car Class 807 – No diesel engine or battery
  • Five-car Class 810 – Four diesel engines

Note.

  1. The Class 801 trains have one diesel engine for emergency use.
  2. The Class 803 trains have one battery for emergency use.
  3. The Class 807 trains appear to be built for top speed and acceleration and have no unnecessary weight.

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I came to the conclusion, that if all diesel engine packs are be replaced by batteries, the train has a range of around 117-121 miles.

If my calculation is correct, I believe that Hitachi battery-electric trains will be capable of using the Joint Line, if all diesel engines are replaced by battery packs.

Surely, if a number of Hitachi trains could use the Joint Line in addition to the ten CAF tri-mode trains, this would minimise disruption to passengers and increase revenue on days, when the East Coast Main Line was closed for engineering works or an incident.

Will The Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries Or The CAF Tri-Mode Trains Have The Longer Range Without Electrification?

Consider.

  • Cleethorpes could be the problem, as it is 64 miles from Newark and 92 miles from Peterborough and a round trip without charging at Cleethorpes for a battery-electric might be a trip to far.
  • But a tri-mode train like that from CAF with an on-board diesel, should have the range.
  • More range for a tri-mode train, just needs bigger fuel tanks.
  • I also suspect Cleethorpes has the equipment to refuel a diesel train, as all services to the station are diesel powered.

The article also says this.

The inclusion of diesel engines as part of the winning bid, rather than a straightforward battery-electric  unit, has surprised some observers, but LNER’s specification was that the fleet should have sufficient self-powered capability to cover the length of the joint line, which is approximately 90 miles. This is currently to be  considered to be beyond the scope of battery-power alone, although as the technology evolves diesel engines could be replaced by batteries.

Could it be that some of LNER’s routes like Aberdeen, Cleethorpes and Inverness have longer running without electrification, than Hitachi’s trains with batteries can achieve. Perhaps, this is why they lost the order?

Pairs Of Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries And The Joint Line

I suspect if one five-car train with batteries can handle the Joint Line, then a pair could also handle it, if the train’s control system allowed it.

Will The Joint Line Be Slower Than The East Coast Main Line?

Consider.

  • The Joint Line is not the slowest line in the country and large sections of the route, have a top speed of 60 mph or higher.
  • It is surprisingly straight.
  • There are some slower sections, through Lincoln and Sleaford.
  • The average speed between Peterborough and Lincoln of local trains is about 50 mph.
  • The average speed between Doncaster and Lincoln of local trains is about 48 mph.

I suspect that the expresses, should be able to achieve 60 mph between Peterborough and Doncaster, with a small amount of track improvement.

This would mean the following times between Doncaster and Peterborough.

  • Via the Joint Line – 90 minutes
  • Via East Coast Main Line – 50 minutes

It looks like forty minutes will be added to journey times.

Would There Be Any Point In Running Some Services Via The Joint Line?

Consider.

  • Lincoln has one train per two hours (tp2h) to and from King’s Cross.
  • A King’s Cross and Doncaster service could use the Joint Line and call at Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln Central, Gainsborough Lea Road and Doncaster.
  • If it terminated at Harrogate, Leeds or York, it could ease congestion on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Doncaster.
  • Lincoln is making a name for itself as a University town.
  • Lincolnshire is getting more important with respect to renewable energy and innovative food production.
  • The frequency would be at least one tp2h.
  • If needed, Lincoln Central could be electrified to charge passing trains.
  • The service could also go via Cambridge to provide East Anglia and its technological powerhouse with better connections to and from the North.

It would all depend on where extra rail services are needed.

Could Cleethorpes And Grimsby Town Have A Service From King’s Cross?

In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I discuss how in June 2023, LNER ran a test train to Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town.

  • With all the energy development going on in North-East Lincolnshire, I suspect that a service between King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town could be viable.
  • I suspect that the energy developments could find recruitment difficult and say a one tp2h service to Peterborough might ease the problem.
  • Whether it ran to Lincoln via Newark and the East Coast Main Line or via Spalding and Sleaford would be down to predicted traffic.
  • The distance via Newark would be 64 miles or 128 miles return.
  • The distance via Peterborough would be 92 miles or 184 miles return.
  • These distances would probably mean that a battery-electric train would need charging at Cleethorpes.

So would it be better if the Cleethorpes trains were to be run by CAF tri-mode trains.

Could Cleethorpes Services Be Paired With The York Service?

The current King’s Cross and Lincoln service uses the same path as a York service.

  • Both services leave King’s Cross at six minutes past the hour.
  • York trains leave at odd hours.
  • Lincoln trains leave at even hours.

If the York service used the Joint Line and the Lincoln service were to be extended to Cleethorpes, Lincoln would receive an hourly service.

  • One service could go via Newark and the other via Peterborough, Spalding and Sleaford.
  • A path on the East Coast Main Line would be saved.
  • The service to York could go via Leeds.
  • The York service could be extended to Middlesbrough, Scarborough or Sunderland.
  • I suspect that timings to Cleethorpes and York could be a similar six-hour round trip.
  • CAF tri-mode trains would be needed for the Cleethorpes services.
  • Either train type could work the York services.

There are various possibilities to improve the train service been London and Lincolnshire.

What Will Be The Maximum Range Of The CAF Tri-Mode Trains?

When determining this, LNER would probably have taken into account all current and every possible service, that they might run in the future, which was not fully electrified.

These would include.

  • London King’s Cross and Aberdeen – 91.4 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Shaftholme junction – 47.8 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln – 64 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln – 92 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Harrogate via Leeds – 18.3 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Inverness– 151.1 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Hull via Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Lincoln – 16.8 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Middlesbrough via Northallerton – 20.3 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Scarborough via York – 42.1 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Sunderland via Northallerton – 47.4 miles

They would also have taken in possible diversion routes.

  • London King’s Cross and Carlisle via Leeds – 86.8 miles
  • London and Edinburgh – 400 miles
  • London King’s Cross and Newcastle via Northallerton and Durham Coast Line – 59.6 miles

Note.

  1. The distance is the length without electrification.
  2. London King’s Cross and Carlisle is a possible diversion route, if between Leeds and Edinburgh is blocked.
  3. A London King’s Cross and Edinburgh capability might be needed, if there was something like a serious weather problem, bringing down the overhead wires.
  4. London King’s Cross and Newcastle via Northallerton and Durham Coast Line is a possible diversion route, if between Northallerton and Newcastle is blocked.

LNER’s longest route without electrification is to Inverness and it is 151.1 miles between Stirling and Inverness.

London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln could be longer, if it were to be run as a return trip of 184 miles.

LNER will probably have specified the range they need on the longest route they run or might run in the future, as there is no point in buying a fleet of trains and then finding that they can’t handle all your routes. They would also include all possible emergency routes, just as they’ve already included the Joint Line.

Out of curiosity I asked Professor Google how far a diesel train could run on a full tank of diesel and got this answer.

According to the traction manual for 158/159 stock each coach has a 400 gallon tank or 1818 Ltr. £2500 at the filling station.

The manual also says that that is enough fuel to travel Waterloo to Exeter and back twice over. Which is 688 miles exactly. Guess there is spare in there for shunting and idling at terminus. Still an mpg of 1.7.

It looks to me, that if a humble Class 158/159 train has a range of nearly 700 miles, then LNER can probably have virtually any distance they want for their new trains.

These journeys will probably all be possible.

  • Between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh – 400 miles
  • A round trip between Stirling and Inverness – 302.2 miles
  • A round trip between Peterborough and Cleethorpes – 184 miles

Professor Google also gives the diesel range of a Class 800 train as 650 miles.

Conclusion

It looks to me, that LNER, Lumo and FirstGroup have a serious plan to decarbonise their network.

All services, that can be decarbonised by replacing diesel generator units, with electrical battery packs.

LNER’s longer routes will use the new CAF trains.

These will be fully decarbonised at a later date.

 

 

 

 

January 1, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are LNER Going To Take On The Airlines?

Nine years ago, I wrote Edinburgh – Plane Or Train?, after a trip to Scotland, where I took easyJet up and came back in First Class by train.

  • Both trips were about five hours door-to-door.
  • The flight was about six quid more,
  • But I got free food and drink on the train.
  • Security on the plane was a pain.
  • I had to take my passport for identification at Stansted.

I haven’t flown internally in Great Britain since, although, I have flown to Belfast.

For shorter flights the market is going towards rail, as these posts seem to suggest.

The climate seems to be turning against flying short-haul.

This is a paragraph, in this press release from LNER, which is entitled First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.

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

Are LNER building a number of climate-based sticks, with which to beat the airlines on the routes, where they compete?

These are my thoughts on the various routes, where LNER compete with airlines.

Newcastle

Newcastle is an interesting one.

  • Newcastle station is in the city centre and is on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
  • London King’s Cross is one of London’s major Underground hubs.
  • There are lots of buses and local trains within walking distance of both stations.
  • There are three trains every two hours and an additional eight trains per day (tpd) between the two London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
  • Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
  • There are generally no security delays at rail stations.
  • London King’s Cross is laid out to maximise passenger flows. If it gets busy, everybody just walks out into King’s Cross Square.
  • I’ve never had a problem at Newcastle station with overcrowding.

Perhaps, if you live near one of the airports, flying is more convenient.

LNER’s weapons against the airlines between London King’s Cross and Newcastle will be convenience and journey times.

Convenience is all about the location of the stations, their excellent  local transport networks and good walking routes around the station.

Journey times will only get better, as the magic of digital in-cab signalling, allows the Azumas, the new CAF tri-mode long distance trains and the few remaining InterCity 225s to show what they were designed to do.

Dalton-on-Tees, where the first phase of the digitally signalling will end, is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle, so once the Newcastle train is passes Dalton-on-Tees on the East Coast Main Line, it will be a digital-signalled electrified railway all the way to Woolmer Green.

  • Dalton-on-Tees is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle
  • Woolmer Green is 244.8 miles South of Newcastle.
  • Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is 205 miles.
  • Newcastle and Dalton-on-Tees takes 37 minutes.
  • Woolmer Green and King’s Cross takes 18 minutes
  • Trains take typically an average three hours and nine minutes between London and Newcastle.
  • A typical train time by LNER between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is two hours and 14 minutes.
  • This is an average speed of 91.8 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  • Between London King’s Cross and Newcastle is fully-electrified.

I can build a table of timings and savings at various average speeds.

  • 120 mph – 103 minutes – two hours and 38 minutes – 31 minutes
  • 125 mph – 98 minutes – two hours and 33 minutes – 36 minutes
  • 130 mph – 95 minutes – two hours and 30 minutes – 39 minutes
  • 135 mph – 91 minutes – two hours and 26 minutes – 43 minutes
  • 140 mph – 88 minutes – two hours and 23 minutes – 46 minutes

Note.

  1. The first field is the average speed between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  2. The second field is the time between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  3. The third field is the time between London and Newcastle.
  4. The fourth field is the saving over current timings.
  5. The London and Newcastle time is calculated by adding the times for the three sections together.

I have regularly timed trains at a very constant 125 mph, so with digital signalling, I suspect an average of 130 mph is possible.

This would mean, times of a few minutes under two hours and thirty minutes could be possible between London and Newcastle.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh builds on the improvements South of Newcastle.

Edinburgh station Waverley is a well-connected station.

  • There are lots of buses, local trains and the Edinburgh Tram within walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley station.
  • There are three trains every two hours and an additional seven tpd between the London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations.
  • Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
  • Trains take typically an average four hours and thirty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley.
  • Any savings because of the digital in-cab signalling between London and Newcastle can be applied to London and Edinburgh Waverley services.

As my calculations showed that averaging 130 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green could save 39 minutes on journey times, I am fairly sure than a sub-four hour journey time will be possible between London and Edinburgh Waverley.

It should also be noted that that the power supply has been improved between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.

  • The distance between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley is 124.2 miles
  • Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley takes around one hour and 30 minutes.
  • This is an average speed of 82.8 mph between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
  • Between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley is fully-electrified.

As the record time for between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley was set by an InterCity225 train in 1993 at three hours and twenty-nine minutes, I suspect that with more digital signalling and some track improvements, that there are more journey time improvements to be squeezed out.

I certainly believe that a time of three hours and fifty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley will be regularly achieved. This is a journey time saving of around forty minutes.

Dundee

Dundee has an airport and a station on the East Coast Main Line.

Trains between London  King’s Cross and Dundee take around five hours and 45 minutes.

LNER run three trains per day to and from London King’s Cross and one tpd to and from Leeds.

CrossCountry also run services.

Loganair has two flights per day to Heathrow.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen builds on the improvements South of Edinburgh.

The four direct tpd between London and Aberdeen take around seven hours and ten minutes.

This should come down to around six hours and thirty minutes with the journey time savings between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.

Will this tempt travellers from the airlines?

Battery-Electric Trains To Dundee And Aberdeen

One thing that will help, is that Edinburgh and Aberdeen is to be partially electrified.

InPiling Work To Get Underway To Electrify Line To Fife, I included this Network Rail map of the electrification.

This map has been downloaded from the Network Rail web site.

The electrification is split into four phases.

  1. Haymarket and Dalmeny – 25 km
  2. Kirkcaldy and Thornton North – 25 km.
  3. Lochgelly and Thornton North – 20 km.
  4. Thornton North and Ladybank – 34 km.

Note.

  1. The last three phases of electrification connect to Thornton North.
  2. The new rail link to Leven will also be electrified. and connected to Thornton North.
  3. The Forth Bridge is not to be electrified.

As Ladybank station is just 91.4 miles from Aberdeen, I suspect LNER will use  Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Trains to serve Aberdeen.

If these trains haven’t got the range, then I suspect LNER’s new CAF Tri-Mode Trains could handle the route.

Inverness

Inverness has a problem.

Zero-carbon trains will be unlikely to get to the city without  full electrification of the Highland Main Line.

  • Dunblane is the nearest electrified station to Inverness, but it is 146.2 miles away over a route with lots of steep climbs.
  • I doubt that a battery-electric train could handle that route.

One solution would be for LNER to run the new CAF Tri-Mode Trains to Inverness using HVO or biodiesel.

Glasgow

Glasgow is the only other Scottish city with an airport and good rail connections to the South.

I am sure that Avanti West Coast will target airline passengers, if LNER prove it is a successful policy.

Other Factors

These are other factors, that will come into a traveller’s choice.

First Class

Some travellers like a bit more comfort and service.

Ability To Work

Some travellers like to work on a train.

You Don’t Get Tables On a Plane

I like to open a paper or magazine flat, which is difficult on a plane.

Views Tend To Be Better On a Train

Providing you get a window!

Parking Tends To Be Better At An Airport

But it may be more expensive!

Security Is Less Hassle On A Train

At the moment!

You Don’t Need To Prove Your Identity On A Train

Not in the UK! Yet!

Conclusion

It looks like LNER can offer the airlines to four of our major Northern cities serious zero-carbon competition.

 

November 19, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Improving Trains Between London And Bradford

Current Services Between London And Bradford

LNER services run between Kings Cross  and Bradford Forster Square stations.

  • Two trains per day (tpd) run between Bradford and London in the early morning.
  • Two tpd run between London and Bradford in the evening.
  • Trains take two and three-quarter hours.
  • Stops are at Shipley, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Retford Grantham and Stevenage.
  • Trains seem to be generally a pair of five-car Class 801 trains.

Note.

  1. Trains reverse at Leeds.
  2. The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.
  3. Harrogate gets a one train per two hours (tp2h) service to and from London.

The timetable could do with an improvement.

Grand Central services run between Kings Cross  and Bradford Interchange stations.

  • Four tpd run between Bradford and London.
  • Four tpd run between London and Bradford.
  • Trains take three and a quarter hours.
  • Stops are at Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
  • Trains are five-car Class 180 trains, which have seen better days.

Note.

  1. The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.

The timetable and the trains could do with an improvement.

LNER’s New Ticketing And Nine-Ten Car Trains

LNER have introduced the selling of  Advanced Tickets from machines or the Booking Office as late as five minutes before the train leaves.

  • My last three trips from Leeds to London cost me £33.55, £33.75 and £33.55 with my Senior Railcard.
  • All were bought less than ten minutes before the train left.
  • In two of the journeys, I spread out in two seats
  • Trains were either a pair of five-car Class 801 trains or a nine-car InterCity 225.

I took these pictures after my last return from Leeds on Tuesday.

Note.

  1. Two of the three trains I’ve taken lately have arrived 3-4 minutes early.
  2. Not a great increase, but I do wonder if LNER are seeing what is possible with the new digital signalling.
  3. The British Rail era; InterCity 225 seems to hold its own against the new Hitachi train.

I wouldn’t be surprised that LNER intend to both run high-capacity trains between London and Leeds and fill them by competitive pricing.

A Grand Central Train Failure On Tuesday

This was my journey to Bradford on Tuesday,

  • I was supposed to take the 1057 Grand Central service to Bradford Interchange, where it was timed to arrive at 1400.
  • But the train didn’t run and we were all advised to get on the 1103 to Leeds and change at Doncaster.
  • We arrived at Doncaster in Platform 4, a minute late at 1240 and got straight on a Grand Central train in the opposite Platform 6.
  • We left Doncaster at 1251, which was sixteen minutes late.
  • But we arrived in Bradford Interchange more or less on time at 1401.

Despite leaving six minutes late from Kings Cross and changing trains at Doncaster, we arrived at Bradford on time.

Battery-Electric Trains Between London and Bradford Interchange

I feel that my journey on Tuesday indicated.

  • Electric trains between London and Doncaster can easily meet the current timetable.
  • The Grand Central train went between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange was sixteen minutes faster than the timetable.

I wouldn’t be surprised that London and Bradford Interchange could be a few minutes under three hours.

Consider.

  • It has been said that between Bradford Interchange and Leeds will be electrified.
  • Bradford Interchange and Doncaster does not have electrification, but is only 52 miles.
  • Electrification of Bradford Interchange station, will allow battery-electric trains to be charged in around 10-12 minutes.
  • Most inter-city battery-electric trains have a battery range of at least eighty miles.
  • Digital signalling is being installed between London and Doncaster to allow 140 mph running and more trains in the timetable.

I believe that a battery-electric train with sufficient range, charging South of Doncaster and at Bradford Interchange could go between London and Bradford Interchange in 5-10 minutes under three hours.

Bradford Interchange and all the other stations North of Doncaster on the route could probably also have a one tp2h service to and from London and the South.

Splitting And Joining Of Trains

Consider.

  • Pairs of the Hitachi Class 801 trains have the ability to split and join en route, during a station stop extended by a few minutes.
  • Platforms are long enough to handle splitting and joining at Doncaster, Leeds and York.
  • Currently, three services to and from London go past Leeds; Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton. All these services reverse in Leeds station, when they pass through.
  • The reversing in Leeds station takes about 8-9 minutes.
  • The track between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square is electrified.
  • Leeds and Harrogate is not electrified and is 19.3 miles.
  • The track between Leeds and Skipton is electrified.
  • Bradford Forster Square has a service of two tpd.
  • Harrogate has a service of one tp2h.
  • Skipton has a service of one  tpd.

In the Wikipedia entry for LNER, this is said.

From December 2019, LNER introduced a Harrogate to London service six times a day. LNER expected to introduce two-hourly services to Bradford and a daily service to Huddersfield by May 2020 when more Azuma trains had been introduced, however the latter has not yet been introduced.

Note.

  1. The Huddersfield service would have to reverse in Leeds station, like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton.
  2. Leeds and Huddersfield is not electrified and is 17.1 miles.
  3. Leeds and Huddersfield is being electrified.

Could LNER’s plan be to give Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Skipton stations a two-hourly service , as the Wikipedia extract indicated, they intend to do for Bradford?

  • All trains enter and leave Leeds to and from the West.
  • Pairs of five-car trains would split and join at Leeds.
  • Bradford Forster Square and Skipton services would be served by electric trains.
  • Harrogate and Huddersfield services would be served by bi-mode or battery-electric trains.
  • Horsforth, Keighley and Shipley could also get a one tp2h service to London.

It looks like services via Leeds could be much improved.

In a two-hour period the Leeds area will have the following trains to and from London Kings Cross.

  • Two trains between London and Leeds via Peterborough, Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate
  • One train between London and Bradford Forster Square via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford (Bradford-bound only), Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Shipley.
  • One train between London and Harrogate via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Horsforth
  • One train between London and Huddersfield via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds
  • One train between London and Skipton via Peterborough, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley (London-bound only) and Keighley.

Note.

  1. Stops between London and Leeds would be adjusted to satisfy passenger numbers.
  2. Currently, there are a total of four trains in a two hour period.
  3. Six trains will be fitted in by having two London and Leeds trains and two pairs of five-car trains, that joined and split at Leeds.

There is still only four train paths needed in a two hour period between London and Leeds.

Digital Signalling Between London And Doncaster

The East Coast Digital Programme has its own web site, which gives this introduction to the programme.

The East Coast Digital Programme is delivering the next generation of train travel – creating a better performing East Coast Main Line for passengers and everyone else who uses and depends on it.

As part of the programme, traditional lineside signals will be removed and replaced with state-of the art digital signalling to improve the reliability of the train service.

The new technology continuously communicates with each train, providing signalling information directly to a computer screen in the driver’s cab. It boosts reliability, reduces carbon emissions and provides a more punctual service for customers.

In the first stage, digital signalling will be introduced on the Northern City Line, between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. It will then be progressively rolled out on the southern section of the East Coast Main Line (between London King’s Cross and the Stoke Tunnels, near Grantham).

It is expected that the first trains to operate on the East Coast Main Line using digital signalling technology will run in 2025, with all improvements expected to be completed by the end of the decade.

As a result of this programme, the East Coast Main Line will be GB’s first intercity mainline to be upgraded to digital. It lays the foundation for further improvements across the network, creating a more efficient railway fit for the future.

There is also a video.

Benefits of digital signalling will include.

  • 140 mph running instead of 125 mph.
  • An increase in the number of train paths.
  • Trains will be able to be run closer together.

As a Graduate Control Engineer, I also believe that digital signalling will enable better control of trains through bottlenecks.

A computer solution would surely be more affordable than some massive civil engineering.

What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?

I put my thoughts in What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?.

Conclusion

The original High Speed Two specification gave a time of one hour and twenty-one minutes between Euston and Leeds.

I suspect that time will be approached before 2040.

September 15, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

New Livery On An InterCity 225

I took these pictures of an InterCity 225 at Doncaster station.

They scrub up well for a train that entered service in 1989.

August 18, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

What Will Be The Range Of A Hitachi Class 800 Battery Train?

I feel now, I have enough information to make an educated, at what the distance a five-car Class 800 or Class 802 train will travel on batteries.

Previous Battery-Electric Trains

These are examples of previous distances.

  1. A Bombardier engineer told me eight years ago, that the battery-electric Class 379 had a range of sixty miles.
  2. Stadler’s FLIRT Akku has a Guinness world record of 139 miles on one battery charge. See this page on the Stadler web site.
  3. Even Stadler’s Class 777 trains for Merseyrail have a range of 84 miles on battery power. See New Merseyrail Train Runs 135 km On Battery.

It does appear that five-car battery-electric trains will have ranges in excess of a hundred miles.

Engineering Ambition

Several times in my life, I’ve got fired up about engineering or software projects and I like to think, I’ve produced the best and fastest solution.

For this reason, I believe that Hyperdrive Innovation, who are now part of Turntide Technologies, and Hitachi will set themselves three objectives with the design of the the battery packs for the Class 800 or Class 802 train.

  • The battery-electric Class 802 will outperform the Stadler FLIRT Akku in terms of speed and distance.
  • The battery packs will be plug-compatible with the diesel engines, so there will only be minor software modification to the trains.
  • The train will be able to be handle all Great Western Railway’s routes without using diesel.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised that on many routes the train will cruise at over 110 mph on batteries.

I also suspect they want the Akku’s Guinness world record, which will mean the range will be in excess of 139 miles.

More On LNER’s Ten New Bi-Modes

I wrote about these trains in LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.

This was my conclusion.

There is a lot of scope to develop LNER’s services.

I think it is likely that the order will go to Hitachi.

But as I indicated, I do believe that there is scope for a manufacturer to design a zero-carbon train, that was able to serve Aberdeen and Inverness.

  • I suspect a fleet of ten trains would be sufficient.
  • Trains would use the 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists and hydrogen or battery power North of the wires.

The trains would also be capable of being upgraded to higher speeds, should the East Coast Main Line be turned into a High Speed Line.

I also think, that whatever trains are bought, there will be a large upgrading of the existing Hitachi fleet, which will add batteries to a lot of trains.

In the July 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled LNER Embraces Pioneering Spirit, which takes the form of an interview with LNER’s Managing Director; David Horne.

In a section, which is entitled ‘225’ Replacement, this is said.

Meanwhile, Mr Horne is looking to what might replace the InterCity 225 fleet, now smartly repainted in a scheme which pays homage to the original ‘Swallow’ livery. While there were fears this fleet may be withdrawn as an economy measure, the ‘225s’ are now on lease until at least next summer.

But Mr Horne says obsolescence issues are a real challenge and LNER will struggle to maintain the fleet beyond 2025, and from the May 2023 timetable change the number of daily diagrams was reduced from five to four to conserve the fleet’s mileage. Much of the heavy maintenance work had previously been carried out at Wabtec’s Doncaster site, but this facility is no longer available, and while a recent reliability improvement programme is bearing fruit, the challenges remain. The crunch point comes with the transition to ETCS at the southern end of the ECML as part of the East Coast Digital Programme – Mr Horne says LNER does not want to fit cab signalling on the ‘225s’.

The solution to this  issue is to procure additional trains to run alongside the 65 Azumas, and LNER went out to tender in October 2020 for a fleet of 10 trains with self-power capability.

While a preferred bidder has been identified, the business case to proceed with the procurement is awaiting approval, but Mr Horne is still hopeful this project can be progressed.

The current plan envisages the new trains broadly replacing the ‘225s’ on Leeds and York diagrams, but a major benefit with the new fleet would be during engineering work – at present LNER has to withdraw services to places such as Harrogate and Hull to concentrate its bi-mode Azumas on services using non-electrified diversionary routes, and having more stock with self-power capability would ease the issue.

Currently, LNER has these Azumas and InterCity 225s in its fleet.

  • Five-car bi-mode Class 800 trains – 10
  • Nine-car bi-mode Class 800 trains – 13
  • Five-car electric Class 801 trains – 12
  • Nine-car electric Class 801 trains – 30
  • Nine-car electric ImterCity 225 trains – 8

Note.

  1. There are 23 bi-mode trains and 50 electric trains.
  2. There are 167 bi-mode carriages and 302 electric carriages.
  3. Currently 31.5 % of the trains are bi-mode.
  4. With ten new bi-mode trains and no InterCity 225 trains, 44 % of the fleet will be bi-mode.

Is this increase in the percentage of the fleet, that are bi-mode acceptable?

LNER’s Two Needs

Let’s look at LNER’s needs, which are actually two separate sub-needs.

  • There is a need for ten new trains to replace the InterCity 225 trains.
  • There is a need to increase the size of the bi-mode fleet to be able to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line and other non-electrified routes to by-pass engineering works.

Note.

  1. I suspect that as Mr Horne explained, there are only five or possibly four InterCity 225s diagrammed on a particular day, then perhaps ten five-car bi-mode Class 800 trains, might be able to cover for the retirement of the InterCity 225s.
  2. These trains would work as pairs to Leeds and York to replace the InterCity 225 capacity.
  3. If required they could split and join at Leeds and York to serve other destinations.
  4. The diversion route of the Great Eastern Joint Line has an unelectrified distance of 93.7 miles and the route is electrified at both ends.
  5. Would a battery-electric Class 800 train handle this distance? I suspect if Stadler can do it, then Hitachi and Turntide Technology will be able to do it too!

LNER will have replaced the InterCity 225s and acquired ten new five-car blockade runners.

As an order for ten new five-car battery-electric trains, is not to be sneezed at, I suspect Hitachi will make sure that their new battery-electric variants have enough range.

So this would mean that the range of a five car battery-electric Class 800 train, should be in excess of 93.7 miles.

Advantages Of Converting Class 800 and Class 802 Trains To Battery-Electric Operation

It should be noted that the five-car and nine-car Class 800 and Class 802 trains have specific advantages when it comes to converting them to battery-electric operation.

  • They are modern trains, that are still in production, so every bit of information about the train is known down to the last nut, bolt and plastic clip.
  • Like most modern trains, hey have a sophisticated computer system controlling the train.
  • They have spaces for three, four or maybe even five diesel engines under the floor, which could be used for a battery-pack in every car designed to hold a diesel engine.
  • The train has an electric bus between nose and tail.
  • As is shown, when the trains change between diesel and electric, the pantograph can go up and down with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers.
  • The trains can be converted between bi-mode and electric, by adding or removing diesel packs. I doubt this feature will be removed, as batteries replace diesels.

With my Electrical and Control Engineer’s hard hat on, I doubt there is anything to stop a Class 800 or Class 802 train being fitted with three or more batteries to create a 125 mph train, with a range approaching two hundred miles on battery power.

The initial name of these Hitachi trains was the Hitachi Super Express. Is this train the Hitachi Super Battery Express?

But it would appear, that for their initial needs, LNER, just need a range to handle the near hundred miles of the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line.

Inverness and Aberdeen will come later.

Conclusion

The first version of the battery-electric train will have a range of around a hundred miles, so that they can handle the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line diversion, which is 93.7 miles on battery power.

But fairly soon after introduction into service, I will be very surprised if they don’t claim the Guinness world record by running farther than the Stadler FLIRT Akku’s 139 miles.

No-one likes being second!

June 27, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Thoughts About Electrification Through Devon And Cornwall

Distances

I’ll start by looking at a few distances.

  • Penzance and Taunton – 162.3 miles
  • Penzance and Exeter St. David’s – 131.5 miles
  • Penzance and Plymouth – 79.5 miles
  • Taunton and Exeter St. David’s – 30.7 miles
  • Plymouth and Exeter St. David’s – 52 miles
  • Taunton and Newbury – 89.6 miles
  • Plymouth and Taunton – 82.8 miles
  • Taunton and Paignton – 59 miles
  • Taunton and Patchway – 51.7 miles

Note.

  1. Patchway and Newbury are already electrified to Cardiff Central and London Paddington respectively.
  2. Bombardier’s engineer told me eight years ago, that the battery-electric Class 379 had a range of sixty miles.
  3. Stadler’s FLIRT Akku has a Guinness world record of 139 miles on one battery charge. See this page on the Stadler web site.
  4. Even Stadler’s Class 777 trains for Merseyrail have a range of 84 miles on battery power. See New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery.

The rail distances in Devon and Cornwall are getting closer to being within the capability of trains fitted with batteries.

Station Stop Times

These are typical times that trains stop in the more important stations between Taunton and Penzance.

  • Taunton – < 2 mins
  • Tiverton Parkway – < 2 mins
  • Exeter St. Davids – 2 mins
  • Newton Abbot – < 2 mins
  • Totnes – < 2 mins
  • Plymouth – 11 minutes
  • Devonport – < 2 mins
  • Saltash – < 2 mins
  • Menheniot – < 2 mins
  • Liskeard – < 3 mins
  • Bodmin Parkway – 2 mins
  • Lostwithiel – 2 mins
  • Par – 2 mins
  • St. Austell – 2 mins.
  • Truro – 2 mins
  • Redruth – 2 mins
  • Camborne – 2 mins

Note.

  1. The timings were for today.
  2. The Cardiff and Penzance services were being run by five-car Class 802 trains.
  3. Most station stops are around two minutes or less, but Plymouth on this train was eleven minutes.

I find it interesting that the Plymouth stop takes so much longer.

Train Stops At Plymouth

I looked at about twenty trains stopping at Plymouth, that included these services.

  • London Paddington and Penzance
  • Penzance and London Paddington
  • Cardiff Central and Penzance
  • Penzance and Cardiff Central

Note.

  1. I found an average time of eight minutes.
  2. Eleven minutes was a common stop.
  3. Eight minutes could be enough time for the rail equivalent of a Formula One splash and dash.
  4. CrossCountry services were going through the station in three minutes.

I am led to believe that the timetable used by the GWR trains would allow a quick battery charge at Plymouth station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Plymouth station.

Note.

  1. London is to the East and Penzance is to the West.
  2. Platform numbers increase from South to North.
  3. The two East-facing bay platforms are Platforms 1 and 2.
  4. The West-facing bay platform in the South-West corner is Platform 3.
  5. Platform 4 shares the island with the bay platforms 1, 2 and 3.
  6. Most trains going to Penzance use Platform 4.
  7. Platforms 5 and 6 share the centre island platform.
  8. Platforms 7 and 8 share the Northernmost island platform.
  9. Most trains going towards London use Platform 7.
  10. Wikipedia indicates that the track layout is comprehensive and allows a lot of operational flexibility.

Although the station was completed around forty years ago, it could have been designed for handling modern battery-electric trains.

  • There are three bay platforms numbered 1 to 3, to charge local services and send them on their way.
  • Trains can arrive and depart in the five through platforms, numbered 4 to 8, from either direction.
  • Two days ago, a nine-car London Paddington to Plymouth train terminated in Platform 7. After waiting an hour it returned to London. An hour would be enough time to fully-charge a train.
  • As many platforms as needed could be electrified.

I am fairly sure, that most battery-electric trains could be timetabled to leave Plymouth station with full batteries.

Turnround At Penzance

I have found these turnrounds.

  • 802113 arrived from Paddington at 1142 and left for London at 1215
  • 802022 arrived from Paddington at 1307 and left for London at 1415
  • 802103 arrived from Paddington at 1500 and left for London at 1615

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Penzance station.

Note.

  1. The three example trains used Platform 1.
  2. Platform 1 is the long platform on the landward side of the station.
  3. Platforms are numbered 1 to 4 from left to right.
  4. An appropriate number of platforms would be electrified to charge trains terminating at Penzance.

Trains would appear to have plenty enough time to recharge, so they would start their return journey with full batteries.

Engineering Ambition

Several times in my life, I’ve got fired up about engineering or software projects and I like to think, I’ve produced the best and fastest solution.

For this reason, I believe that Hyperdrive Innovation, who are now part of Turntide Technologies, and Hitachi will set themselves three objectives with the design of the the battery packs for the Class 802 train.

  • The battery-electric Class 802 will outperform the Stadler FLIRT Akku in terms of speed and distance.
  • The battery packs will be plug-compatible with the diesel engines, so there will only be minor software modification to the trains.
  • The train will be able to be handle all Great Western Railway’s routes without using diesel.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised that on many routes the train will cruise at over 110 mph on batteries.

I also suspect they want the Akku’s Guinness world record, which will mean the range will be in excess of 139 miles.

Battery Range Needed For Routes

These are routes that need to be covered by battery-electric Class 802 trains or similar.

  • Avanti West Coast – Crewe and Chester – 22.2 miles
  • Avanti West Coast – Crewe and Holyhead – 105.5 miles
  • Avanti West Coast – Crewe and Llandudno Junction – 65.5 miles
  • Avanti West Coast – Crewe and Wrexham – 34.4 miles
  • Avanti West Coast – Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton – 29.7 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Penzance and Plymouth – 79.5 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Plymouth and Taunton – 82.8 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Taunton and Patchway – 51.7 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Newbury and Taunton – 89.6 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Taunton and Paignton – 59.0 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Weston-super-Mare and Chippenham – 43.5 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Oxford and Great Malvern – 65.6 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Oxford and Hereford – 86.3 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Oxford and Worcester Foregate Street – 57.6 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill – 57.2 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Cheltenham Spa and Swindon – 43.2 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Cardiff Central and Carmarthen – 77.4 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Cardiff Central and Pembroke Dock – 118.9 miles
  • Great Western Railway – Cardiff Central and Swansea – 45.7 miles
  • Hull Trains – Beverley and Temple Hirst Junction – 44.3 miles
  • Hull Trains – Hull and Temple Hirst Junction – 36.1 miles
  • LNER – Hull and Temple Hirst Junction – 36.1 miles
  • LNER – Middlesbrough and Longlands Junction – 22.2 miles
  • LNER – Sunderland and Longlands Junction – 48.5 miles
  • LNER – Lincoln Central and Newark Northgate – 16.6 miles
  • LNER – Leeds and Bradford – 13 miles
  • LNER – Leeds and Harrogate – 18 miles
  • LNER – Leeds and Huddersfield – 17 miles
  • LNER – Stirling and Inverness – 146 miles
  • LNER – Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen – 130 miles
  • LNER – Peterborough and Doncaster via Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line – 93.7 miles
  • South Western Railway – Basingstoke and Exeter St. David’s – 124.5 miles
  • TransPennine – Hull and Micklefield – 42 miles
  • TransPennine – Longlands Junction and Saltburn – 34.7 miles
  • TransPennine – York and Scarborough – 42 miles
  • TransPennine – Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles
  • TransPennine – Stockport and Doncaster – 55.4 miles
  • TransPennine – Stockport and Cleethorpes – 107.5 miles

Note.

  1. Stirling and Inverness and Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen could be shortened by up to thirty miles, by planned electrification in Scotland.
  2. I have assumed that the TransPennine Upgrade has been completed.
  3. It looks like a battery-electric Class 802 train could use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line diversion via Lincoln.
  4. I am slightly surprised, that the longest stretch of line without electrification and with a passenger service is Basingstoke and Exeter St. David’s.

Charging will be needed at some places to charge the battery-electric trains. Stations fitted with chargers could include Aberdeen, Carmarthen, Cleethorpes, Exeter St. David’s, Hereford, Holyhead, Hull, Inverness, Paignton, Penzance, Pembroke Dock, Plymouth, Swansea, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Worcester.

Most chargers would be a length of electrification in the platform, where the battery-electric trains terminated or passed through.

More On LNER’s Ten New Bi-Modes

I wrote about these trains in LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.

This was my conclusion.

There is a lot of scope to develop LNER’s services.

I think it is likely that the order will go to Hitachi.

But as I indicated, I do believe that there is scope for a manufacturer to design a zero-carbon train, that was able to serve Aberdeen and Inverness.

    • I suspect a fleet of ten trains would be sufficient.
    • Trains would use the 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists and hydrogen or battery power North of the wires.

The trains would also be capable of being upgraded to higher speeds, should the East Coast Main Line be turned into a High Speed Line.

I also think, that whatever trains are bought, there will be a large upgrading of the existing Hitachi fleet, which will add batteries to a lot of trains.

In the July 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled LNER Embraces Pioneering Spirit, which takes the form of an interview with LNER’s Managing Director; David Horne.

In a section, which is entitled ‘225’ Replacement, this is said.

Meanwhile, Mr Horne is looking to what might replace the InterCity 225 fleet, now smartly repainted in a scheme which pays homage to the original ‘Swallow’ livery. While there were fears this fleet may be withdrawn as an economy measure, the ‘225s’ are now on lease until at least next summer.

But Mr Horne says obsolescence issues are a real challenge and LNER will struggle to maintain the fleet beyond 2025, and from the May 2023 timetable change the number of daily diagrams was reduced from five to four to conserve the fleet’s mileage. Much of the heavy maintenance work had previously been carried out at Wabtec’s Doncaster site, but this facility is no longer available, and while a recent reliability improvement programme is bearing fruit, the challenges remain. The crunch point comes with the transition to ETCS at the southern end of the ECML as part of the East Coast Digital Programme – Mr Horne says LNER does not want to fit cab signalling on the ‘225s’.

The solution to this  issue is to procure additional trains to run alongside the 65 Azumas, and LNER went out to tender in October 2020 for a fleet of 10 trains with self-power capability.

While a preferred bidder has been identified, the business case to proceed with the procurement is awaiting approval, but Mr Horne is still hopeful this project can be progressed.

The current plan envisages the new trains broadly replacing the ‘225s’ on Leeds and York diagrams, but a major benefit with the new fleet would be during engineering work – at present LNER has to withdraw services to places such as Harrogate and Hull to concentrate its bi-mode Azumas on services using non-electrified diversionary routes, and having more stock with self-power capability would ease the issue.

Currently, LNER has these Azumas and InterCity 225s in its fleet.

  • Five-car bi-mode Class 800 trains – 10
  • Nine-car bi-mode Class 800 trains – 13
  • Five-car electric Class 801 trains – 12
  • Nine-car electric Class 801 trains – 30
  • Nine-car electric ImterCity 225 trains – 8

Note.

  1. There are 23 bi-mode trains and 50 electric trains.
  2. There are 167 bi-mode carriages and 302 electric carriages.
  3. Currently 31.5 % of the trains are bi-mode.
  4. With ten new bi-mode trains and no InterCity 225 trains, 44 % of the fleet will be bi-mode.

Is this increase in the percentage of the fleet, that are bi-mode acceptable?

I wonder, if there is a more affordable and flexible way to increase the fleet size.

In the Wikipedia entry for the Class 800 train, there is a section, which is entitled Traction And Generator Units, where this is said.

The Class 800 and Class 802 bi-mode are equipped with three GU per five-car set and five GU per nine-car set; a five-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/4 and a nine-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/5/7/8. In comparison, the electric-orientated Class 801 features a single GU for a five to nine-car set, which provides emergency power for limited traction and auxiliaries if the power supply from the overhead line fails. By adding or removing GUs, a Class 800 can be converted into a Class 801 and vice versa.

Let’s look at LNER’s needs, which are actually two separate sub-needs.

  • There is a need for ten new trains to replace the InterCity 225 trains.
  • There is a need to increase the size of the bi-mode fleet to be able to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line and other non-electrified routes to by-pass engineering works.

Note.

  1. I suspect that as Mr Horne explained, there are only five or possibly four InterCity 225s diagrammed on a particular day, then perhaps ten five-car bi-mode Class 800 trains, might be able to cover for the retirement of the InterCity 225s.
  2. These trains would work as pairs to Leeds and York to replace the InterCity 225 capacity.
  3. If required they could split and join at Leeds and York to serve other destinations.
  4. The diversion route of the Great Eastern Joint Line has an unelectrified distance of 93.7 miles and the route is electrified at both ends.
  5. Would a battery-electric Class 800 train handle this distance? I suspect if Stadler can do it, then Hitachi and Turntide Technology will be able to do it too!

LNER will have replaced the InterCity 225s and acquired ten new five-car blockade runners.

As an order for ten new five-car battery-electric trains, is not to be sneezed at, I suspect Hitachi will make sure that their new battery-electric variants have enough range.

So this would mean that the range of a five cat battery-electric Class 800 train, should be in excess of 93.7 miles.

It should be noted that the five-car Class 800 and Class 802 trains have specific advantages when it comes to converting them to battery-electric trains.

  • They are modern trains, that are still in production, every bit of information about the train is known down to the last nut, bolt and plastic clip.
  • Like most modern trains, hey have a sophisticated computer system controlling the train.
  • They have spaces for three, four or maybe even five diesel engines under the floor, which could be used for a battery-pack in every car designed to hold a diesel engine.
  • The train has an electric bus between nose and tail.
  • As is shown, when the trains change between diesel and electric, the pantograph can go up and down with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers.
  • The trains can be converted between bi-mode and electric, by adding or removing diesel packs. I doubt this feature will be removed, as batteries replace diesels.

With my Electrical and Control Engineer’s hard hat on, I doubt there is anything to stop a Class 800 or Class 802 train being fitted with three or more batteries to create a 125 mph train, with a range approaching two hundred miles on battery power.

The initial name of these Hitachi trains was the Hitachi Super Express. Is this train the Hitachi Super Battery Express?

But it would appear, that for their initial needs, LNER, just need a range to handle the near hundred miles of the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line.

Inverness and Aberdeen will come later.

Hull Trains

This page on the Lumo web site is entitled Greener Travel Between Edinburgh And London.

These are the first three paragraphs.

A new, 100% electric rail service is to start running between London and Edinburgh with fares for as little as £14.90 in a bid to encourage greener and more affordable travel between the capitals.

Called Lumo, it will provide low-carbon, affordable long-distance travel for over 1 million passengers per year. Over 74,500 passengers currently fly between Edinburgh and London each month3.

And with single tickets between the capitals starting from just £14.90, Lumo will be a comfortable, convenient alternative to flying that is affordable for all. Some 60% of all single fares will be available at a cost of £30 or less.

I’m sure Hull Trains, who are owned by First Group like Lumo would like to position themselves in the 100 % electric low-carbon box too!

Currently, Hull Trains’s five-car Class 802 trains, run 88.6 and 72.2 miles using diesel on round-trips to Beverley and Hull respectively from London.

If batteries were fitted to their trains to give a battery range of around a hundred miles, Hull Trains could call themselves 100 % electric.

No new infrastructure would be required, but a short length of overhead electrification in a convenient platform at Hull station would ensure the train left for London and Beverley with a full battery.

The pictures show Hull Trains’s Class 802 train in Platform 7 at Hull station.

Penzance And Taunton

This to me is the key section as if you can run a battery-electric train between these two stations it allows so many of the services to be run using zero-carbon traction.

These are distances from Taunton.

  • Exeter St. David’s – 30.7 miles
  • Newbury – 89.6 miles
  • Okehampton – 55.3 miles
  • Paignton – 59.0 miles
  • Patchway – 51.7 miles
  • Plymouth – 82.8 miles

Note.

  1. I’ve added Okehampton, as I feel that if Dawlish had another encounter with Poseidon, Okehampton with its proposed Parkway station on the A30 could be the terminus for coaches to and from Cornwall.
  2. All would be possible with a battery-electric train, with a hundred-mile range, leaving Taunton with a full battery.
  3. Charging could be needed at Okehampton and Paignton.

What is needed is some form of charging in the Taunton area.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Taunton station.

Note.

  1. The station has four through platforms.
  2. All Great Western Railway services to and from Devon and Cornwall stop in the station.
  3. I feel it would be possible to electrify the station, so that all stopping trains could charge the batteries.

But the problem would be, that as typically trains only stop for a couple of minutes at Taunton, there may not be enough time to take enough charge on board.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the track between Wellington and Collumpton, between Taunton and Exeter.

Note.

  1. The black line is the railway between Taunton and Exeter.
  2. The blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map indicates the position of the proposed Wellington station.
  3. Collumpton is in the South-West corner of the map and has also been put forward for a new Collumpton station.
  4. I talked about the reopening of these two stations in Reopening Of Wellington and Cullompton Stations.
  5. The M5 to the North of Collumpton runs closely alongside the railway.
  6. According to Real Time Trains, it takes just under ten minutes to go the thirteen miles between Wellington and Collumpton.

This Google Map shows a section of the M5 North of Collumpton.

And this Google Map shows Tiverton Parkway station.

Note how the railway runs alongside the M5 to the West.

I feel that if the two new stations of Wellington and Collumpton are built between Taunton and Exeter St. David’s, then why not partially electrify the route, so that all trains would leave or pass through Taunton and Collumpton stations with full batteries.

  • Going West the trains would reach Exeter St. David’s, Okehampton or Plymouth.
  • Going East trains would reach Newbury for Reading and Paddington, and Patchway for Cardiff.

I believe that a battery-electric solution is possible, that would enable the decarbonisation of the Great Western Main Line all the way to Penzance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 25, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Hour Change Has Completely Knocked Me Out

Last Saturday, the 29th of October, the clocks went back and I’ve not had a totally good week.

On Tuesday, I couldn’t get dressed, as my gammy left arm and hand didn’t work.

  • I also felt a bit unsteady, as if I’d had a couple of whiskies. But then, I never drink anything more alcoholic, than 0.0% real ale.
  • As there was no-one else, I dialled 999.
  • An ambulance came and took me to the Royal London Hospital, where nothing was found.
  • But as my body  responded to the hospital’s superb air-conditioning, I was allowed to go home.
  • T think the hospital thought I took a taxi, but in reality I took the Overground to Dalston Junction station.

They had suggested, that I should take my planned trip to Doncaster. Which I did!

  • I took a Hitachi Class 800 train to the North.
  • And I took an InterCity225 train home.

Both have air-conditioning that only affects me positively, unlike Class 390 trains, which have put me in hospital before.

On Thursday, I wrote up my trip, or at least the ticketing in An Affordable Trip To Doncaster.

On Friday, I fell asleep on the floor and missed a friend bringing round my washing.

On Saturday, I woke late, went out for lunch and then watched the television.

In the evening, I was tired so went to bed at nine, which is unusual for me.

I got up at nine and did my trip on the Elizabeth Line, which I wrote about in Taking A Train Between Abbey Wood And Ilford Stations On The Lizzie Line.

As a Control Engineer, I tend to believe that the loss of the hour a week ago, has been the cause of my erratic sleeping.

I’ve also got a strange skin that I wrote about in My Strange Skin.

November 6, 2022 Posted by | Health, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Ryanair Of Rail’ Lights Up The East Coast On Fast Track To Profit

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.

This is the first paragraph.

A cut-price rail service between London and Edinburgh, dubbed the Ryanair of rail, is on track to turn a profit after a year in service and has helped to reverse the airlines’ previous dominance of the travel market between the capitals.

Other points from the article.

  • Lumo will carry its millionth passenger in November.
  • The average one-way fare has been less than £40.
  • Rail is now claiming 63 % of the London and Scotland travel market.

Will this success lead to more trains attracting more rail travellers between England and Scotland?

Can Lumo Carry More Passengers?

Lumo use five-car Hitachi Class 803 trains for their services.

  • Their fleet consists of five cars.
  • Each five-car train can carry 402 passengers.
  • Lumo run five trains per day (tpd) in both directions.

There are various ways that the number of passengers could be increased.

Could Lumo Run More Services?

This may seem to be a solution, but only a fixed number of trains can be run in every hour, between England and Scotland.

  • Other train operators may also want to run more services.
  • It would also mean Lumo would need to buy more trains.

On the other hand it may be possible to squeeze in perhaps one extra service.

Could Lumo Run Longer Trains?

Lumo’s Class 803 trains are unusual among the Hitachi AT 300 trains, that handle long distance services all over the UK, in that they have no diesel engines and rely on battery power for emergencies.

As the trains’ computer work out which cars are present, I wouldn’t be surprised that these trains can be lengthened or even run as a pair, as GWR’s and LNER’s five-car Hitachi trains often do.

Platforms at King’s Cross, Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth and Edinburgh are probably already longer than is needed for a five-car train.

I could even see Lumo adding coaches as required to satisfy the need of the day. On a day like the Calcutta Cup, they might even run ten or twelve car trains, which is the longest formation possible with the Hitachi trains. But they’d have to have enough coaches!

Lumo use a very simple catering option, which I suspect can be modified to serve a longer train.

I am fairly certain, that LUMO’s fleet has been designed for gradual lengthening to expand capacity.

Would The Lumo Model Work On The West Coast Main Line?

As the Lumo model seems to work to Edinburgh, would it work to Glasgow?

I don’t see why not! And it might improve the service from Avanti West Coast?

Grand Union have lodged an application to run four tpd between London and Stirling via at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert with InterCity 225s.

This proposal seems to be stalled at the moment, but I do feel it is a good idea.

I would certainly use it, as the air-conditioning on the Class 390 trains, used by Avanti West Coast, makes me ill!

 

 

 

October 25, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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