New Cut-Price Sheffield to London King’s Cross Train Service A Step Closer After Breakthrough
The title of this post, is the same as that of a story on The Star.
This is the sub-heading.
A new cut-price Sheffield to London train service has moved a step closer after a significant breakthrough.
These two paragraphs add detail to the story.
Hull Trains, which is part of FirstGroup, wants to launch a twice-daily return service between Sheffield and London King’s Cross, via Woodhouse, Worksop and Retford.
It says fares would be up to 30 per cent cheaper and the new route would provide more choice for passengers, especially for students and other people on a tighter budget.
I would assume the breakthrough is that the new East Coast Main Line timetable has been agreed.
The article confirms this.
The new East Coast Mainline timetable coming into operation later this year has been confirmed by Network Rail, making it easier to see how the new Sheffield-London trains would fit in around existing services.
Ever since I saw this proposed service, I wondered if by judicious splitting and joining at Retford, the Hull Trains services would effectively be only one ten car train on the East Coast Main Line.
Is Internet Security Sometimes Over Secure?
On Friday the 13th December, I received a Purchase Confirmation from eBay by e-mail.
As I get lots of spam e-mails, I decided it was just the usual spam and ignored it.
But then I got thinking.
- I have never bought anything on eBay.
- I sold a lot of surplus things, when I last moved house on eBay and was very satisfied with their service.
- The purchase was for a watch and I don’t wear one.
- It was also an Apple watch and as the company has given me so much grief on their non-standard co9mputer and file formats , when I was a programmer, I never buy or use any Apple products.
- It was also for £650, which is never the sort of sum, I ever would pay for a watch.
So I did all the safety checks on my bank accounts and credit cards and found everything was as it should be.
On the Purchase Confirmation from eBay is a 0204 phone number offering help . So I rang it on the Saturday.
My call was answered by a male operator with a slight accent, but speaking good English.
- After I gave him the Order ID, he said that eBay had closed my account because of inactivity.
- I have since found an e-mail from eBay saying they were closing my account and I remember answering it, but as I felt I didn’t need the account, I took no action.
- The operator, then said that someone had reactivated the account and told me that this needed documents like Council Tax to prove I lived at the house.
- He then asked if anybody lived with me. I told him no, as I’m a widower in perhaps a rather curt manner, as I don’t like being accused of a crime.
- I then realised that this was an inside job, from my experience of working with police forces, banks and consultants in stopping crime.
- I told him my thoughts in a quiet way.
He then said he’d close the account and the conversation ended.
On the Monday, I decided I wanted to go to see the new Northumberland Line on the Wednesday.
- So I decided to book online using Lumo to Newcastle.
- Before entering your bank/credit card number, Lumo ask for your name and address.
- I didn’t get past the name and address entry, probably because, I suspect eBay had put my name and address on a black-list!
In the end, I bought my tickets at the King’s Cross station ticket office using a credit card. At least they were the same as the on-line price.
It was a good trip and I wrote about it in London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo and My First Trip On The Northumberland Line – 18th December 2024.
Conclusion
I have phoned Lumo, most of my banks and credit cards, Action Fraud, the BBC, the police and I still can’t find out how I get myself off this accursed black-list.
The only good thing, is that I have not had ay money taken out of my bank account.
I have also reported the fraud to the Metropolitan Police and got a crime number for it.
London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo
On Monday, the weather for yesterday in the North-East seemed set fair, I was able to get tickets on Lumo both ways for a reasonable price and the new Northumberland Line had opened.
So I decided to go for it.
My outward journey was on the 10:45 and the return was on the 17:52, which gave me more than enough time to take a train to Ashington and back.
I took these pictures as I arrived in and changed cmy trains at Newcastle.
Note.
- The weather in Geordieland was gorgeous.
- Is there another station in the UK, with an approach with such a large number of bridges over a large river.
- I took the bridge pictures from the lobby of the train.
- The blue railway bridge is on the East side of the train.
- The modern road bridge is on the West side of the train.
- In The Bridges of Newcastle, there are more pictures of Newcastles’s bridges.
- To change trains, I had to cross from one side of the station to the other on a stiff bridge without lifts.
- The Northumberland Line trains run every thirty minutes.
These are some further thoughts on Newcastle station, which I will write later.
Timings Going North
The train left Kings Cross at 10:45½, which was just thirty seconds late.
It arrived in Newcastle at 13:48, which was four minutes late.
The journey time had been three hours and two and a half minutes.
Timings Going South
The train left Newcastle at 17:52, which was on time.
It arrived in Kings Cross at 21:17, which was thirty-three minutes late.
The thirty-three minute delay, must raise the possibility of delay repay.
It does!
Three Hours London Newcastle?
These timings must raise the possibility of a sub-three hour time. on the train, between London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
The digital signalling that is currently being installed, with perhaps a few timetable tweaks should do it for both Lumo and LNER.
Could The Trains Absorb The Airline Passengers?
Consider.
- In 2023, 437,735 passengers flew between London Heathrow and Newcastle airports.
- This is just 1,200 passengers per day.
- A five-car Class 803 train has 403 seats.
It would appear that a few extra trains and some targeted marketing, could convert London and Newcastle into an all-electric train route.
Seats
Train seats are a bone of contention to many rail passengers these days.
I first rode on Lumo to Scotland in 2021 and wrote about it in London To Edinburgh On Lumo, where I was fairly complimentary about the seats.
They certainly are better than some train seats I have ridden in.
Am I Tired Today?
Not particularly! But I wasn’t very energetic during my four hours in the North.
Tickets For Onward Journeys
The main purpose of my trip was to ride the Northumberland Line to Ashington.
I made the mistake of not buying my ticket for the second train in London, as I hadn’t realised that my train from London and the Ashington train used different sides of the station.
- It was a stiff walk for me between trains.
- In order to buy a ticket, you need to pass through the barriers twice to get to the ticket office or a machine.
- There was no ticket facilities on the far side of the station, where the Lumo train arrived.
- The ticket machines didn’t accept contactless cards.
- Information was lacking.
The outcome was that I nearly missed my train to Ashington.
So to be sure of catching your connection, if you are changing trains at Newcastle, make sure you buy your tickets before you leave your first station.
Matchday Travel Made Easy With Lumo
The title of this post, is the same as that as this new item from Gateshead FC.
These three paragraphs outline the partnership between Lumo and Gateshead FC.
Lumo, our official rail partner, continues to offer Gateshead fans the perfect means for travelling to London and back on away days.
Operating exclusively electric trains, Lumo’s fleet run at times convenient for football matches, allowing fans to travel to London from Newcastle train station in just under 3 hours and vice versa. Lumo is committed to delivering sustainable travel without compromising on comfort, convenience, or cost.
Discover the tips and offers from Lumo below to make planning your next trip to t Capital easier, more affordable, and completely hassle-free.
Two tips and offers are listed.
- Plan Ahead – Tickets Available Until Spring 2025.
- Stay Flexible With LumoFlex
I have a few thoughts and observations.
Lumo Is Faster Than AI
According to the September 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, Lumo holds the record of two hours and 33 minutes from King’s Cross to Newcastle.
- Google’s AI-enhanced search engine gives three minutes longer.
- Looks like a stupid computer to me.
If Lumo could keep their record pace going to Edinburgh, they’d be in the Scottish Capital in three hours 43 minutes after leaving King’s Cross.
There Are Eleven Teams In The Same Division Of The National League As Gateshead, That Can Be Reached Easily From London
The teams are.
- Aldershot Town – Train from Waterloo
- Barnet – Underground and Bus
- Braintree – Train from Liverpool Street
- Dagenham & Redbridge – Underground and Bus
- Eastleigh – Train from Waterloo
- Ebbsfleet United – Thameslink
- Maidenhead – Elizabeth Line
- Southend United – Train from Liverpool Street
- Sutton United – Thameslink
- Wealdstone – Underground
- Woking – Train from Waterloo
Note.
- Maidenhead and Sutton United are probably the easiest.
- Woking could be the most difficult.
- Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line are useful.
If Lumo bring a train-full of passengers to London, that is 400 passengers per train at £18 each way, if all supporters get the best price.
So each train could produce £14,400, if it was full. If Lumo can run ten-car instead of five-car trains, that doubles the revenue to £28,800.
I think Lumo see this as a nice little earner and they are going for it.
Conclusion
Train companies could support fans a lot better than they do.
‘UK-First’ Intercity Battery Trial Exceeds Expectations
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Hitachi.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Intercity battery train completes testing in the north of England, demonstrating superior performance and cost-effectiveness compared to diesel engines.
- Trial confirms single battery technology can reduce fuels costs between 35%-50% and enter and leave stations in zero-emission mode.
- Ahead of Railway 200 celebration, this new UK rail innovation is ready to reduce cost and emissions on the railways.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Today, Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail and TransPennine Express are celebrating the successful completion of the UK’s first intercity battery trial in the North of England.
The powerful 700kw battery technology met, and in some cases even surpassed, the key objectives of the trial, including:
- Fuel costs savings between 35%-50%, surpassing previous predictions of up to 30%.
- Just one battery has managed to power the train to speeds greater than 75mph, clearly demonstrating this technology can enter, alight and exit stations solely in zero-emission battery-mode to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
- Able to achieve all journey times and performance requirements so can meet operators timetable requirements.
- The battery matches the weight of a diesel engine and is installed in the same undercarriage space, ensuring no risk of track degradation and no impact on the passenger environment.
Note.
- I would expect, that most of the fuel cost savings are due to the use of regenerative braking to the battery.
- 75 mph might seem slow, but Hull Trains average slower speeds than this on their diesel sections.
- Running in a non-polluting mode in stations and sensitive areas, is not going to be disliked by anyone.
- The most powerful diesel engines in Class 800 and Class 802 trains are rated at 700 kW. So with the same weight and power, it is not surprising that the performance is the same.
It looks to me, that Hitachi have designed an efficient battery-electric electric train, that can extend services from electrified main lines onto branch lines without electrification.
The One Battery Test Train And Hull Trains
Hull Trains currently run one service to Hull and Beverley and have applied for another service to serve Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield, where the trains would leave the East Coast Main Line at Retford.
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
An Electric Service Between London and Hull/Beverley
Distances for the Hull and Beverley service are.
- ECML and Hull – 58.1 km. – 3 stops
- Hull and Beverley – 13.2 km or 26.4 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
- Trains will be fully-charged, when they leave the ECML.
- Trains could be fully-charged, when they leave Hull station, if the platform they use has a charging system.
- All Hull Trains call in Platform 7 at Hull station.
- The Hitachi press release said “During a trial run, the battery’s impressive power enabled the train to operate solely in battery mode for 70km.” A speed of 75 mph is indicated.
- I would assume the Hitachi train used regenerative braking to help recharge the batteries, at the intermediate stops.
- Trains average around 57 mph between the ECML and Hull and 38 mph between Hull and Beverley.
- Much of the track between the ECML and Hull has a speed limit of 75 mph.
- Much of the track between Beverley and Hull has a speed limit of 70 mph or less.
Because of these figures and what Hitachi have said of the train’s performance on batteries, I am convinced that Hull Trains will use an electrified Platform 7 at Hull station to charge the trains.
These pictures show a Hull Trains’s Class 802 train in Platform 7 at Hull station.
Note.
- The blue Hull Train is in Platform 7 in the pictures.
- Hull station has a classic Victorian cast-iron roof.
- Many other similar platforms have been electrified in the UK.
I believe that this platform can be electrified relatively easily with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
An Electric Service Between London and Worksop/Sheffield
Distances for the Worksop and Sheffield service are.
- ECML and Worksop – 12.2 km. – 1 stop
- Worksop and Sheffield- 25.3 km or 50.6 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
1. A train from London will leave Retford with a full battery.
2. Retford and Sheffield is only 37.5 km. So the round trip is only 75 km.
3. A full battery will power the train at 75 mph for 70 km – According to Hitachi.
4. Much of the track between Retford and Sheffield is only 60 mph. So going slower will give an energy saving.
5. Slowing at Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield will give the batteries a small charge.
6. There are no bridges in the Workshop station area, so a mile or so of electrification could be easy.
7. It’s an easy level route.
8. I’ve read somewhere that Hitachi have a full route simulator.
I calculate, that a two minute charge at Worksop would probably be all the train would need to travel the 75 km. on batteries.
We don’t know if Hitachi have licenced some of Vivarail’s FastCharge technology from FirstGroup. This could enable them to extract the maximum value from each stop at Worksop.
The One Battery Test Train And Lumo
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on Lumo’s new service to Rochdale.
As London Euston and Manchester Victoria is fully electrified, the only unelectrified section is the 16.7 km. between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale. This would mean, that to complete the trip, Lumo’s train would need the ability to do 33.4 km on battery power.
As Hitachi’s test train can do 70 km on a full charge, Lumo could use trains with the standard two diesel engine and one battery pack configuration. The battery would be charged on the electrified sections of the route, between London Euston and Manchester Victoria stations.
It looks to me, to be a superb demonstration of the capabilities of a battery-electric InterCity train with two diesel engines and one battery pack.
The One Battery Test Train And LNER
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on several LNER services from King’s Cross.
- Bradford Forster Square – 21.9 km. from Leeds
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from Newark
- Grimsby Town – 97.9 km. from Newark
- Harrogate – 29.4 km from Leeds
- Lincoln – 26.9 km. from Newark
- Middlesbrough – 35.2 km. from ECML
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from ECML
- Scarborough – 67.8 km. from York
Note.
- Some services like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Lincoln could be run by only charging on the East Coast Main Line.
- Some services like those to Middlesbrough and Scarborough could be run by charging at the destination.
- Other services would need more batteries and/or charging at the destination.
I haven’t put in the Scottish services as running them may be more complicated.
Running Longer Distances On Battery Power
This paragraph is from the original Hitachi press release.
This success demonstrates that Hitachi Rail is ready to deliver the next stage of a full intercity battery-electric train. Based on real-world data, such a train would have a range between 100-150km. These ranges can cover significant sections of non-electrified routes, eliminating the need for wires in tunnels or stations, and potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds on electrification projects.
Note.
- I would assume that as many diesel engines as possible would be replaced with battery packs.
- On a typical three-battery Class 800 train, 802 train or Class 805 train, this could be up to three batteries.
- But on a four-battery Class 810 train, this could be up to four batteries.
A strategy would need to be developed for all routes and trains would be configured and allocated to the routes accordingly.
50% Increase For Northumberland Passengers Heading To London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
In the last two years, the number of customers travelling by Lumo‘s train services between Morpeth and London has increased by 50%.
According to Lumo, the increased demand for its services is due to leisure and business customers looking to travel more sustainably and the area’s tourism opportunities.
I don’t feel that the fifty percent increase is unexpected, as LNER now run seven trains per day (tpd) in both directions between Morpeth and London and Lumo now run five.
- Not all passengers travel between North of Morpeth and London.
- If you live in the Borderlands, you may find Morpeth a better alternative than driving to Edinburgh or Newcastle.
- Morpeth station has only 72 car parking spaces.
- Local buses and taxis may play a part.
- Car hire is available at Newcastle and Morpeth.
- Low fares will certainly play a part.
It will start to get interesting, when services start to run between Newcastle and Morpeth via the Northumberland Line.
Why The Elizabeth Line Must Be Extended To Ebbsfleet International
There are various plans to link the Elizabeth Line to Ebbsfleet International.
In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I showed this map from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation.
There doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million.
The Elizabeth Line connects to the following.
- Bond Street
- Canary Wharf
- City of London
- Farringdon for Thameslink
- Heathrow Airport
- Old Oak Common for High Speed Two
- Liverpool Street station
- Oxford Street
- Paddington station
- Slough for Windsor
- Tottenham Court Road for the British Museum, Oxford Street, Soho, Theatreland and the Underground.
- West End of London
- Whitechapel for the Overground and Underground
For many people like me, the Elizabeth Line at Ebbsfleet will provide one of the quickest ways to get to and from European trains.
High Speed Two Services
This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.
Note.
- Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
- Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
- Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
- The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
- In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
- Was Lancaster chosen as it’s close to the new Eden Project Morecambe?
Click on the diagram to enlarge it.
Destinations served by the current foreshortened High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite will be.
- Birmingham Curzon Street
- Birmingham Interchange
- Carlisle
- Carstairs
- Crewe
- Edinburgh Haymarket
- Edinburgh Waverley
- Glasgow Central
- Lancaster
- Liverpool Lime Street
- Lockerbie
- Macclesfield
- Manchester Airport
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Motherwell
- Oxenholme
- Penrith
- Preston
- Runcorn
- Stafford
- Srockport
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Warrington Bank Quay
- Wigan North Western
- Wilmslow
That is twenty-five stations.
I would add these extra stations.
- Bangor
- Blackpool
- Chester
- Holyhead
- Llandudno Junction
- Wrexham
Note.
- These extra six stations would make High Speed Two, a line for more of the people.
- Because the Eastern leg is cancelled, the paths that would have served that leg can be used to provide services for the West of the country.
The East of the country could be served by updating the East Coast Main Line.
The Development Of Eurostar
Consider.
- Eurostar and Thalys have now merged and I can see them providing extra direct services between London and Europe.
- Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt and Geneva have been mentioned as possible destinations.
- Most of the new destinations, will be served by extending current services from Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris appropriately.
But to cope with the extra numbers of passengers, there will have to be extra passenger capacity at St. Pancras and/or Ebbsfleet International.
High Speed Two And Continental Services
Currently, if you want to go from the North of England or Scotland to the Continent, you do one of the following.
- Take a train to King’s Cross and walk across to St. Pancras International.
- Take a train to St. Pancras and walk to the International section of the station.
- Take a train to Euston and walk or take a bus, taxi or Underground to St. Pancras International.
Note.
- Passengers from North Wales take the Euston route.
- Some passengers will take an Elizabeth Line train to Farringdon and then take Thameslink to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Paddington on Heathrow Express will probably take a taxi to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Paddington on a budget will probably take the Underground to St. Pancras International.
For Londoners and those travellers, who know London well, the routes to St. Pancras International, are not to bad but they could be better.
If the current foreshortened High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite finishes at Old Oak Common station, passengers will have to use the following routes for their onward journey.
- Elizabeth Line
- Great Western Railway – local services.
- Heathrow Express
- North London Line of the London Overground, or whatever the Mayor at the time calls it.
If the full High Speed Two or High Speed Two Lite finishes at Euston station, passengers will have to use the following routes for their onward journey.
- Avanti West Coast
- Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines
- London North Western – local services
- Northern Line
- Victoria Line
- Watford DC Line of the London Overground, or whatever the Mayor at the time calls it.
These routes will be in addition to those at Old Oak Common station.
There will be two routes between High Speed Two and St. Pancras International station.
- Passengers arriving at Old Oak Common will take an Elizabeth Line train to Farringdon and then take Thameslink to St. Pancras International.
- Passengers arriving at Euston will walk or take a bus, taxi or Underground to St. Pancras International.
I am not sure that either route will have enough capacity, if High Speed Two attracts a large number of passengers.
Extend High Speed Two To Euston
I believe that this is essential, as it improves the connectivity greatly, at the bottom end of High Speed Two, as several Underground Lines will be connected to High Speed Two.
Extend The Elizabeth Line from Old Oak Common To Ebbsfleet International
I believe this too is essential, as it gives the North of England and Scotland, the connection to the Continent that they need.
There could be cross-platform connections at both Old Oak Common and Ebbsfleet International between the Elizabeth Line and the high speed lines.
Conclusion
Politicians should stop the dithering and act to give the UK, the rail connection it needs up and down the country and to the Continent.
Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
- Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
- Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.
These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.
Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.
Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.
The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.
These are my observations and thoughts.
Grand Central’s Current Services
Grand Central currently runs two separate services.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- Weekend services are reduced.
- Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.
Grand Central have applied to run more services.
Distances Without Electrification On Current Services
Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles
Note.
- Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
- Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
- Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.
The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.
These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.
And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.
Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.
Grand Central’s New Trains
Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.
- Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
- Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
- Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.
Note.
- A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
- Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
- Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
- LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?
I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.
Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.
Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services
Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.
Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.
They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.
Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?
- Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
- An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
- London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
- The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
- They might save a few minutes.
But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.
This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.
- Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
- One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
- Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
- As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.
I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services
If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.
They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.
Conclusion
It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.
Heat-Related Hospital Admissions And Deaths In London
I never saw my father ride on a deep Underground line, like the Northern or the Piccadilly, as he always said the air was terrible.
That was despite we lived within walking distance of Oakwood station and his print works was just a hundred metres from Wood Green Underground station.
But then he was a man, who always had a car, when I knew him, so I suppose he felt he better use it.
On one occasion, he took me to the Printing Industries Fair at Earl’s Court, which is just seventeen stops on the Piccadilly Line from Wood Green Underground station, as it still is today.
His route was as follows.
He left his MG Magnette outside the print works on Station Road.
As this picture I took in 2012 shows, parking wasn’t too difficult.
We then walked up the hill to Wood Green station, which is now called Alexandra Palace, from where we took a steam-hauled local train into King’s Cross.
From King’s Cross, we took a Metropolitan Line train to Hammersmith station.
At Hammersmith, we changed stations and then took a train to Baron’s Court station for Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre.
Today, the route between Alexandra Palace and Earl’s Court stations is very different.
- You can change trains at Moorgate, Farringdon or King’s Cross.
- The oldest trains, that you’ll travel on would have been built in 2008.
- All trains will be fully air-conditioned.
I feel, that I could probably get my father to use this route. Although, I doubt it would happen, as he would have turned 120, at the start of this year.
The Growth Of Air Conditioning
Many cars since the 1980s have been airconditioned and now trains are following that route.
In London these are some dates, when trains were air-conditioned.
- Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan from 2008.
- Elisabeth Line from 2017.
- Gospel Oak and Barking from 2019.
- Greater Anglia from 2019/20.
- Lee Valley Lines from 2019.
- London Midland from 2023.
- London Overground from 2009.
- Southern from 2003.
- Southeastern from 2003.
- Thameslink from 2014.
Each year, more and more trains will be air-conditioned.
Conclusion
Has this growth of air-conditioning reduced the number of cases of heatstroke and other heat related admissions to hospitals?
LNER Names Train ‘The Flying Swiftie’ Ahead Of Tonight’s Opening Gig
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from LNER.
This is the sub-heading,
Forget “The Flying Scotsman”, LNER is today naming the 1000 London-Edinburgh train “The Flying Swiftie” – as thousands of Taylor Swift fans take the train to her first UK gig in the Scottish capital.
These are the first three paragraphs, which give a few more details.
The rail firm famous for having Red seats knows All Too Well that its passengers love a named train – from The Flying Scotsman to the Highland Chieftan and the recently introduced Carolean Express.
As passengers travel in Style and say So Long, London they will be reminded with on-train and station announcements that Everything Has Changed and that they’re on The Flying Swiftie, while screens around the station and along the route will refer to the train’s name too.
Taylor Swift fans will be able to get refreshments onboard cheaper than their Wildest Dreams thanks to a special Flying Swiftie discount.
Recently, Lumo did a similar promotion for Gateshead fans going to Wembley for the FA Trophy final, which I wrote about in Excitement Brewing for Gateshead FC Away At Wembley.
Last Train Home
In the past, I’ve had difficulty with getting a return train after some matches and it is a complaint of the fans of many sides.
- Taylor Swift’s concert seems to finish shortly before midnight.
- I’ve never had trouble from Greater Anglia, as they always run a late train back to London.
- In one case at Ipswich, there were track problems in the Colchester area, so Greater Anglia returned fans to Sudbury by taxi.
- Lumo ran an extra return train to make sure everybody got home after the match.
It certainly looks to me, that if you are going to put on a package for an event, you must make sure, that it is possible for those attending the event to get home.
What Is Possible
Lumo and LNER have shown what is possible on the East Coast Main Line and I would hope that they will develop these two experiences to cover, events like these.
- London football teams playing matches in Newcastle.
- Newcastle United playing matches in London.
- England and Scotland rugby matches.
I hopr to see more services like these in the future.
The Anonymous Widower 