Thoughts On LNER’s New Harrogate Service
I wrote about LNER’s improved service to Harrogate station in New Harrogate-London Rail Times Revealed.
If you look at each service, they have a very rel;axed stop at Leeds.
Northbound services are scheduled to take the following times.
- 0733 – 8 minutes
- 0933 – 7 minutes
- 1133 – 7 minutes
- 1333 – 7 minutes
- 1533 – 11 minutes
- 1733 – 13 minutes.
Sorthbound services are scheduled to take the following times.
- 0736 – 11 minutes
- 0936 – 10 minutes
- 1136 – 8 minutes
- 1336 – 9 minutes
- 1536 – 8 minutes
- 1736 – 9 minutes.
It seems a long time to pass through Leeds station.
But this is because the train reverses direction at Leeds station, so the driver has to change ends.
Will Azumas make any difference?
Azumas were designed around forty years after the current InterCity 125 trains that work the service. A five-car Azuma is also half the length of a two+eight InterCity 125.
So I wouldn’t be surprised to see in the new timetable, the 7-9 minutes reverse are timed for Azumas and the longer times are to allow InterCity 125 trains to run the service.
The Azuma services to Leeds seem to be run by two five-car trains, running as a pair.
Could this be, so that the train can split and join at Leeds?
- A pair of five-car Azumas would arrive in Leeds from London.
- A second driver gets in the rear cab of the rear train.
- The two trains automatically uncouple.
- The rear train drives off to the West to Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Skipton or wherever.
- The front train can drive off to the East to perhaps Hull, Middlesbrough, Scarborough, Scotland or Sunderland.
- If required the driver could change ends and continue to the East.
The process would be reversed when going South.
Possible Destinations
These are possible destinations, distances and times.
- Bradford – 13 miles – 25 minutes
- Harrogate – 18 miles – 30 minutes
- Huddersfield – 17 miles – 35 minutes
- Hull – 20 miles – 60 minutes
- Middlesbrough – – 76 miles – 84 minutes
- Scarborough – 67 miles – 75 minutes
- Skipton – 26 miles – 43 minutes
- York – 25 miles – 30 minutes
It looks to me that Leeds will become a very important station for LNER.
Their timetabling team will certainly be having a large amount of mathematical fun!
I can certainly see.
- Bradford,, Chesterfield and Skipton having similar service levels to those starting to and from Harrogste in December.
- Battery-electric Azumas handling the last few miles on battery power.
- Journey times of under two hours between Leeds and Kings Cross.
I also feel that LNER and TransPennine Express will create an integrated network between Leeds and Scotland along the East Coast Main Line.
Conclusion
This arrangement gives a large range of destinations from London and the South.
Passengers and train operators would like it.
HS2 Railway To Be Delayed By Up To Five Years
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These first few paragraphs indicate the current situation.
The first phase of the HS2 high-speed railway between London and Birmingham will be delayed by up to five years, Transport Minister Grant Shapps says.
That section of the line was due to open at the end of 2026, but it could now be between 2028 and 2031 before the first trains run on the route.
HS2’s total cost has also risen from £62bn to between £81bn and £88bn, but Mr Shapps said he was keeping an “open mind” about the project’s future.
The second phase has also been delayed.
What are the short term consequences of this delay in the building of High Speed Two?
- No Capacity Increase Between London And Birmingham., until three or five years later.
- Capacity increases to Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Preston will probably be five years or more later.
Are there any other things we can do to in the meantime to make the shortfall less damaging to the economy?
East Coast Main Line
Much of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) has been designed for 140 mph running. Wikipedia puts it like this..
Most of the length of the ECML is capable of 140 mph subject to certain infrastructure upgrades.
Wikipedia also says that Greengauge 21 believe that Newcastle and London timings using the shorter route could be comparable to those using HS2.
Track And Signalling Improvements
There are a number of improvements that can be applied to the ECML, with those at the Southern end summed up by this paragraph from Wikipedia.
Increasing maximum speeds on the fast lines between Woolmer Green and Dalton-on-Tees up to 140 mph (225 km/h) in conjunction with the introduction of the Intercity Express Programme, level crossing closures, ETRMS fitments, OLE rewiring and the OLE PSU – est. to cost £1.3 billion (2014). This project is referred to as “L2E4” or London to Edinburgh (in) 4 Hours. L2E4 examined the operation of the IEP at 140 mph on the ECML and the sections of track which can be upgraded to permit this, together with the engineering and operational costs.
Currently, services between London and Edinburgh take between twenty and forty minutes over four hours.
Who would complain if some or even all services took four hours?
To help the four hour target to be achieved Network Rail are also doing the following.
- Building the Werrington Dive-under.
- Remodelling the station throat at Kings Cross.
- Adding extra tracks between Huntingdon and Woodwalton.
- Devising a solution for the flat junction at Newark.
Every little helps and all these improvements will allow faster and extra services along the ECML.
Obviously, running between London and Edinburgh in four hours has implications for other services.
In Changes Signalled For HS2 Route In North, I said this.
Currently, the fastest non-stop trains between London and Doncaster take a few minutes over ninety minutes. With 140 mph trains, I think the following times are easily possible.
- London and Doncaster – 80 minutes
- London and Hull – A few minutes over two hours, running via Selby.
- London and Leeds – A few minutes less than two hours, running on the Classic route.
For comparison High Speed Two is quoting 81 minutes for London Euston and Leeds, via Birmingham and East Midlands Hub.
I suspect that North of Doncaster, improving timings will be more difficult, due to the slower nature of the route, but as services will go between Edinburgh and London in four hours, there must be some improvements to be made.
- Newcastle – Current time is 170 minutes, with High Speed Two predicting 137 minutes. My best estimate shows that on an improved ECML, times of under 150 minutes should be possible.
- York – Current time is 111 minutes, with High Speed Two predicting 84 minutes. Based on the Newcastle time, something around 100 minutes should be possible.
In Wikipedia, Greengauge 21 are quoted as saying.
Upgrading the East Coast Main Line to 140 mph operation as a high priority alongside HS2 and to be delivered without delay. Newcastle London timings across a shorter route could closely match those achievable by HS2.
My estimate shows a gap of thirteen minutes, but they have better data than I can find on the Internet.
Filling Electrification Gaps East Of Leeds And Between Doncaster And Sheffield
In Changes Signalled For HS2 Route In North, I said this.
These are the lines East of Leeds.
- A connection to the East Coast Main Line for York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
- An extension Eastwards to Hull.
These would not be the most expensive sub-project, but they would give the following benefits, when they are upgraded.
- Electric trains between Hull and Leeds.
- Electric trains between Hull and London.
- Electric access to Neville Hill Depot from York and the North.
- An electric diversion route for the East Coast Main Line between York and Doncaster.
- The ability to run electric trains between London and Newcastle/Edinburgh via Leeds.
Hull and Humberside will be big beneficiaries.
In addition, the direct route between Doncaster and Sheffield should be electrified.
This would allow the following.
- LNER expresses to run on electricity between London and Sheffield, if they were allowed to run the route.
- Sheffield’s tram-trains could reach Doncaster and Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
A collateral benefit would be that it would bring 25 KVAC power to Sheffield station.
Better Use Of Trains
LNER are working the trains harder and will be splitting and joining trains, so that only full length trains run into Kings Cross, which will improve capacity..
Capacity might also be increased, if Cambridge, Kings Lynn and Peterborough services were run with 125 mph or even 140 mph trains. GWR is already doing this, to improve efficiency between Paddington and Reading.
Faster Freight Trains
Rail Operations Group has ordered Class 93 locomotives, which are hybrid and capable of hauling some freight trains at 110 mph.
Used creatively, these might create more capacity on the ECML.
Could the East Coast Main Line be the line that keeps on giving?
Especially in the area of providing faster services to Lincoln, Hull, Leeds, Huddersfield,Bradford Newcastle and Edinburgh.
Conclusion On East Coast Main Line
There is a lot of scope to create a high capacity, 140 mph line between London and Edinburgh.
An Upgraded Midland Main Line
Plans already exist to run 125 mph bi-mode Hitachi trains on the Midland Main Line between London and Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
But could more be done in the short term on this line.
Electrification Between Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield
This 15.5 mile section of the Midland Main Line will be shared with High Speed Two.
It should be upgraded to High Speed Two standard as soon as possible.
This would surely save a few minutes between London and Sheffield.
140 mph Running
The Hitachi bi-modes are capable of 140 mph, if the signalling is digital and in-cab.
Digital signalling is used by the Class 700 trains running on Thameslink, so would there be time savings to be made by installing digital signalling on the Midland Main Line, especially as it would allow 140 mph running, if the track was fast enough.
Extension From Sheffield To Leeds Via New Stations At Rotherham And Barnsley
Sheffield and Transport for the North are both keen on this project and it would have the following benefits.
- Rotherham and Barnsley get direct trains to and from London.
- A fast service with a frequency of four trains per hour (tph) could run between Leeds and Sheffield in a time of twenty-eight minutes.
This extension will probably go ahead in all circumstances.
Use Of The Erewash Valley Line
The Erewash Valley Line is a route, that connects the Midland Main Line to Chesterfield and Sheffield, by bypassing Derby.
It has recently been upgraded and from my helicopter, it looks that it could be faster than the normal route through Derby and the World Heritage Site of the Derwent Valley Mills.
The World Heritage Site would probably make electrification of the Derby route difficult, but could some Sheffield services use the relatively straight Erewash Valley Line to save time?
Faster Services Between London And Sheffield
When East Midlands Railway receive their new Hitachi bi-mode trains, will the company do what their sister company; Greater Anglia is doing on the London and Norwich route and increase the number of hourly services from two to three?
If that is done, would the third service be a faster one going at speed, along the Erewash Valley Line?
I suspect that it could have a timing of several minutes under two hours.
Conclusion On An Upgraded Midland Main Line
There are various improvements and strategies, that can be employed to turn the Midland Main Line into a High Speed Line serving Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is not such a fruitful line for improvement, as is the East Coast Main Line.
Digital signalling, 140 mph running and faster freight trains, may allow a few more trains to be squeezed into the busy main line.
Increasing Capacity Between London and Birmingham New Street
I’ve seen increased capacity between London and Birmingham quoted as one of the reasons for the building of High Speed Two.
Currently, both Virgin Trains and West Midlands Trains, have three tph between London and Birmingham New Street.
- This is probably not enough capacity.
- The line between Birmingham New Street and Coventry stations is probably at capacity.
These points probably mean more paths between London and Birmingham are needed.
High Speed Two is planned to provide the following services between London and Birmingham after Phase 2 opens.
- Three tph – London and Birmingham Curzon Street stations via Old Oak Common and Birmingham Interchange (2 tph)
- Fourteen tph – London and Birmingham Interchange via Old Oak Common.
That is a massive amount of extra capacity between London and Birmingham.
- It might be possible to squeeze another train into each hour.
- Trains could be lengthened.
- Does Birmingham New Street station have the capacity?
But it doesn’t look like the West Coast Main Line can provide much extra capacity between London and Birmingham.
Increasing Capacity Between London and Liverpool Lime Street
Over the last couple of years, Liverpool Lime Street station has been remodelled and the station will now be able to handle two tph from London, when the timetable is updated in a year or so.
Digital signalling of the West Coast Main Line would help.
Increasing Capacity Between London and Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station uses two platforms for three Virgin Trains services per hour to and from London.
These platforms could both handle two tph, so the station itself is no barrier to four tph between London and Manchester.
Paths South to London could be a problem, but installing digital signalling on the West Coast Main Line would help.
Conclusion On The West Coast Main Line
Other improvements may be needed, but the major update of the West Coast Main Line, that would help, would be to use digital signalling to squeeze more capacity out of the route.
The Chiltern Main Line
Could the Chiltern Main Line be used to increase capacity between London and Birmingham?
Currently, there are hourly trains between Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill stations and London.
As each train has about 420 seats, compared to the proposed 1,100 of the High Speed Two trains, the capacity is fairly small.
Increasing capacity on the route is probably fairly difficult.
Digital Signalling
This could be used to create more paths and allow more trains to run between London and Bitmingham.
Electrification
The route is not electrified, but electrifying the 112 mile route would cause massive disruption.
Capacity At Marylebone Station
Marylebone station probably doesn’t have the capacity for more rains.
Conclusion On The Chiltern Main Line
I don’t think that there is much extra capacity available on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham.
Conclusion
I have looked at the four main routes that could help make up the shortfall caused by the delay to High Speed Two.
- Planned improvements to the East Coast Main Line could provide valuable extra capacity to Leeds and East Yorkshire.
- The Midland Main Line will increase capacity to the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, when it gets new trains in a couple of years.
- Planned improvements to the West Coast Main Line could provide valuable extra capacity to North West England.
- The Chiltern Main Line probably has little place to play.
As Birmingham has been planning for High Speed Two to open in 2026, some drastic rethinking must be done to ensure that London and Birmingham have enough rail capacity from that date.
Network Rail Reveals Detailed £2.9bn Upgrade Plans For TransPennine Route
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
It is planned to be a comprehensive upgrade to the Huddersfield Line that includes.
- Improvement between Huddersfield and Westtown
- Grade separation or a tunnel at Ravensthorpe
- Rebuilding and electrification of eight miles of track.
- Possible doubling the number of tracks from two to four.
- Improved stations at Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield and Ravensthorpe.
This project should be a major improvement to the Huddersfield Line.
Here are my thoughts on the upgrade.
Where Is Westtown?
Westtown is a difficult place to find on Google Maps.
This Google Map is the best I can do.
Note that Dewsbury station is at the North-East of the map and Ravensthorpe station is in the South-West corner, with the Huddersfield Line going through both stations.
- To the South-West the line goes to Mirfield, Deighton and Huddersfield.
- To the North-East the line goes to Batley, Morley, Cottingley and Leeds.
Westtown can be seen indicated to the West of the Huddersfield Line, North of the River Calder.
Railways Between Dewsbury And Huddersfield
This map clipped from the Wikipedia entry for the Huddersfield Line, shows the route between Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations.
Note the Leeds New Line, which was built by the London and North Eastern Railway and opened in 1900.
It appears to have been closed between 1960 and 1990.
Everybody blames Beeching for the closure of railways, but this closure started before he reported.
But it does seem, that LNER decided that four tracks were needed between Leeds and Huddersfield and that British Railways felt that two was enough.
It now appears that part of the solution to increasing capacity is to create a four-track section of the Huddersfield Line between Huddersfield and Westtown.
We often blame the state of our railways on poor Victorian planning and engineering, but it does appear that they got it right here and British Rail got it wrong, in the 1960s.
A Very Busy Line
If you look at the traffic through Dewsbury station, it is a busy train-spotters paradise, with five scheduled trains per hour (tph) typically stopping at the station and several more passing through.
Four-Tracking Between Huddersfield And Westtown
This is Network Rail’s preferred solution to providing more capacity between Huddersfield and Desbury.
It is not going to be simple engineering all the way.
This Google Map shows the Huddersfield Line crossing the River Calder and the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal South of Dewsbury station and to the North of Ravensthorpe station.
Note the two double-track bridges over the waterways.
This page on Georgraph has a picture of the bridge over the River Calder. It looks an excellent example of a Victorian wrought iron bridge.
Depending on their condition, these might need to be replaced, but they will certainly need to be upgraded to four tracks.
This Google Map shows Ravensthorpe station and the rail lines in the area in more detail.
The line going East from Ravensthorpe goes to Wakefield Kirkgate station, although there are no platforms at Ravensthorpe.
The Wikipedia entry for Ravensthorpe station says this.
Ravensthorpe station is adjacent to Thornhill LNW (London North Western) Junction, where a line branches to Wakefield Kirkgate. There are plans to extend the station by building new platforms on this line, which was built by the former Manchester and Leeds Railway.
It looks to me that there are possibilities to rebuild Ravensthorpe station and the lines in the area to meet the following objectives.
- Two fast lines and two slow lines through the station.
- Platforms for Dewbury and Leeds services.
- Platforms for Wakefield Kirkgate services.
- Four tracks to as close to Dewsbury station as possible.
It must help that a lot of the land North of the line to Wakefield Kirkgate, appears to be devoid of buildings.
The engineering would not be difficult, but probably extensive and expensive.
It should be noted that the Werrington Diver Under near Peterborough, which is a similar scale of project, was costed at £200 million.
West of Ravensthorpe station, there appears to be plenty of space to fit in two extra tracks alongside the current pair.
This Google Map shows Ravensthorpe station and the tracks to the West.
Note that there is space on both sides of the current tracks and a bridge.
But between Ravensthorpe and Mirfield stations, there are at least three more bridges.
This Google Map shows Mirfield station and the tracks to the West.
There could be problems adding extra tracks here.
- The track and platform layout is unusual.
- There may be a lack of space at the station.
But the biggest problem will probably be four-tracking the bridge over the River Calder.
This Google Map shows the bridge in more detail.
It does appear that the bridge currently has three tracks and might have at some time had four tracks.
If the two extra tracks could be added to this bridge, it would probably be heroic engineering at a high cost, given the difficulty of the site.
But I think engineers have replaced similar bridges on UK railways in recent years.
After Mirfield, the tracks take a wide loop to the North to go to Deighton station.
The tracks were probably built to follow the contours above the River Calder, so hopefully despite the terrain, they could be fairly level.
This Google Map shows the tracks through Deighton station.
It certainly looks that there should be room for two extra tracks.
Between Deighton and Huddersfield stations, it would appear that four-tracking would be as easy as any part of the route.
Looking at the stations from the air from my helicopter (i.e. Google Maps), I suspect that one way to four-track the line would be to proceed in something like this way.
- Rebuild and four-track the bridge over the River Calder at Mirfield station.
- Build the junction and the bridges to the North-East of Ravensthorpe station.
- Create a pair of fast lines on the South side of the current tracks.
- Move all traffic onto these new fast lines.
- Rebuild the existing railway and the stations.
There may be a need for replacement buses, whilst the stations are rebuilt, but hopefully through services could continue.
Electrification
The Rail Technology Magazine opens with this paragraph.
Major station upgrades and plans to rebuild and electrify an 8-mile stretch of track have been put forward by Network Rail as part of a public consultation on a major upgrade to the TransPennine route.
As it is eight miles between Huddersfield and Dewsbury stations, it would seem likely that the electrification will stretch between the two stations.
This would enable TransPennine Express’s Class 802 trains to switch between electric and diesel power in the stations, if this is preferred by the operator.
Line Speed
The eight miles section of track will never have a particularly high speed, given the not very straight route and the terrain.
Currently, trains that stop at both Huddersfield and Dewsbury stations take eight minutes for the trip. Even trains going at speed through both stations seem no faster.
Four-tracking will surely allow fast expresses to pass local services and freight trains, but will the improvement save much time?
If trains could average 100 mph between Huddersfield and Dewsbury, just over three minutes could be saved.
Station Upgrades
The three stations between Huddersfield and Dewbury will all be upgraded, as will Hudderfield station.
The three smaller stations will probably be rebuilt as four platform stations or two platform stations with two through lines for fast services.
In Huddersfield And High Speed Two, I showed several pictures of Huddersfield station.
- It will not be easy to upgrade to a full four-track station.
- There are three through tracks and some bay platforms.
The two main through platforms are on the South side of the station, so if the two fast lines were on the South side of the route between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe, this could enable an efficient station at Huddersfield.
I also think, there could be a problem at Huddersfield station, with trains to Sheffield on the Penistone Line, if more and faster trains were going through the station.
A New Timetable
I suspect that, if and when the upgrade is finished, that a new timetable will be brought in.
A possibility could be. that TransPennine Express trains run non-stop between Huddersfield and Leeds.
Now that Northern are getting new trains, perhaps these could run a Turn-Up-And-Go service of a train every fifteen minutes between Huddersfield and Leeds.
Heritage Issues
Huddersfield station is a Grade I Listed building and I suspect that the three bridges I have noted are lListed as well.
Will the Heritage lobby object to electrification in these sensitive areas?
Onward To Manchester
I have flown my helicopter between Huddersfield and Stalybridge and if the proposed improvement is successful, I suspect that the route to the West can be improved as far as Stalybridge.
- The route is at least double track.
- It looks like in places, it once had more tracks.
- The trackside margins are fairly generous.
- There doesn’t seem to be too many bridges.
- Electrification will soon be as far as Stalybridge from Manchester.
After my quick look, I don’t think that electrifying between Huddersfield and Manchester would be too challenging, except for possibly, the Standedge Tunnel.
Onward To Leeds
The route between Dewsbury and Leeds is double track, with the only complication of the Morley Tunnel.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that all the difficult bits to creation of an electrified route between Manchester and Leeds via the Huddersfield Line, are in the stretch between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
So perhaps it makes sense to sort out the difficult bits first, with this £2.9billion project.
My First Ride In A Class 331 Train
After yesterday’s post; My First Ride In A Class 195 Train, today, I took a ride in that train’s electric sister; the Class 331 train, between Leeds and Doncaster stations.
These are some pictures.
These are my views on various aspects of the train.
Noise, Vibration And Harshness
The electric trains, I travel in most are London Overground’s and TfL Rail’s various classes; 315, 317, 345, 378 and 710.
These Class 331 trains seemed to have a smooth ride, but a noisier transmission compared to say the Class 378 train or the Class 710 train.
To check, the day after I rode the Class 331 train, I rode the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, sampling both Class 378 and Class 710 trains.
It was no surprise that noise levels in the Class 710 train were lowest, but the Class 331 train was noisier than the Class 378 train.
Interior Design
The interior design is the same as that of the Class 195 train and my same comments apply.
- It is inferior to that of a Class 385 train.
- The seats are not aligned with the windows.
- There are lots of tables, which I like.
I also noted that the information display wasn’t working. Was this just teething troubles?
Entrance And Exit
As expected, this was the same as the Class 195 train.
Conclusion
The Class 331 train like its sibling; the Class 195 train, has a few design faults, that hopefully will be rectified in the next few months.
Manchester Victoria To Chester
On Saturday, I went between Manchester Victoria and Chester on the new hourly Northern Connect service between Chester and Leeds.
Note.
- The train was a Class 158 train, with a Class 153 train acting as a capacity enhancer.
- The train was only doing 60 mph on the West Coast Main Line.
- The service was fairly busy.
- The route is electrified between Manchester Victoria and Warrington Bank Quay stations.
On this Saturday morning, it appeared to me that a better train is needed.
In Northern Connect Between Chester And Leeds To Start In May, I did report a rumour that Class 769 trains might be running between Chester and Leeds.
In my view Class 769 trains are ideal for the route between Chester and Leeds.
- They are four-car trains.
- They can do 100 mph, where electrification is available.
- They are 90 mph trains on diesel.
There main problem, is not their age, but since they were proposed, train interiors have moved on. Passengers and train operating companies want more tables and comfortable seats. Even some refurbishments of forty-year-old trains have tables. In What Train Is This?, I described a high class refurbishment of a Class 150 train. Here’s a picture.
The Chester and Leeds route and probably many other routes in the UK need a train with the following characteristics.
- 100 mph using either 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- 100 mph on secondary power like diesel, battery or hydrogen.
- two hundred mile range without refuelling.
- Four or five cars.
- Comfortable interior with tables, wi-fi, power points and everything else passengers want.
Train operating companies would probably like a 125 mph version.
Hitachi already have a train with this specification in the Class 800 train. In Hitachi Plans To Run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs Beyond The Wires, I detail, Hitachi’s plans for Class 385 trains. Could these be stretched to perhaps do 100 miles on batteries.
Bombardier are offering a High Speed Bi-Mode Aventra with batteries and Stadler are introducing the Class 755 train for Greater Anglia.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that Northern need to get themselves some new 100 mph hybrid trains. The diesels they have on order are so Twentieth Century and late!
Northern Connect Between Chester And Leeds To Start In May
This article on the BBC is entitled New Rail Services Aim To Ease Overcrowding.
This is an extract.
Northern will be adding direct services between Chester and Leeds.
I think this will be the proposed Northern Connect service.
- The route is via Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford Interchange stations.
- Only the twenty-two miles between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Victoria stations is electrified.
- Wikipedia says that the service will be run using a Class 195 train.
Looking at the current timetable, these times are achieved.
- Chester and Newton-le-Willows – 38 minutes
- Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Victoria – 18 minutes
- Manchester Victoria and Leeds – 75 minutes
This totals up to two hours and eleven minutes.
The Class 195 train is a 100 mph diesel multiple unit and may knock a few minutes from this time.
On my trip to Wigan last month, I heard a rumour from a driver, that the Chester and Leeds service would be run by Class 769 trains.
- These trains could use electrification between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Victoria stations.
- They would be slightly slower, than the new Spanish trains on diesel.
It will be interesting to see, which trains Northern use for the service.
Building New City-Centre Lines Instead Of Using Existing Network Inflates HS2 Cost By 15%
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
HS2’s second phase will cost more compared to similar overseas schemes because it relies on new dedicated high-speed lines into city-centre terminal stations at Manchester and Leeds rather than using the existing conventional railway.
As the review of the costs of HS2, that showed this, was done by PwC, I suspect the figures can be believed.
Over the last few years, we’ve redeveloped or extended several busy stations like Derby, Kings Cross, Liverpool Lime |Street, London Bridge, Manchester Victoria, Nottingham, Reading and St. Pancras.
I like Reading and London Bridge the best, as the large concourse crossing either over or under the tracks with lots of escalators and lifts, seems to work well Liverpool Lime Street with a wide concourse at one end, seems to work well for a terminal station.
But St. Pancras is a mess for passengers and staff alike with effectively four stations in one one Victorian building.
It would have been better, if the station had been flattered and a new one built.
This approach is being taken at that 1960s monstrosity; Euston, which is being extended for HS2.
The four Northern stations in Phase 2 of HS2 are being treated differently.
- Leeds is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms at right angles to the existing ones.
- Liverpool Lime Street uses the existing approach and platforms have been extended for the new HS2 trains.
- Manchester Piccadilly is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms alongside the existing ones.
- Sheffield uses the existing approach and platforms will be extended for the new HS2 trains.
Liverpool Lime Street is already HS2-ready and can handle at least two normal expresses and one HS2 train in an hour.
The works were completed in a six-month blockade in the Summer of 2018.
I suspect Sheffield will be made HS2-ready, in a similar way.
Conclusion
Obviously, every station is different.
But Liverpool Lime Street has shown how it is possible to find an affordable, less disruptive approach to some stations.
Karen’s Travel Problem
My friend, Karen, has a train problem.
She lives in Leeds and needs to go to Milton Keynes regularly.
The journey is difficult with often two changes and the need to go across Manchester.
But not from Monday!
It appears that under the new timetable, all the XX:50 trains from Leeds, go direct to Piccadilly over the Ordsall Chord and now give you twenty-five minutes to catch a direct train to Milton Keynes.
The total journey time is just under three hours.
The return journey seems quicker too!
It will be interesting to see, how much the Ordsall Chord changes journeys across Manchester!
The Automatic Splitting And Joining Of Trains
Hitachi And Automatic Splitting And Joining Of Trains
The Hitachi Class 395 train was the first train in the UK to be able to automatically split and join in service.
In The Impressive Coupling And Uncoupling Of Class 395 Trains, I linked to this video.
Impressive isn’t it?
In Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?, I quoted this comment from a public on-line Hitachi document.
Because the coupling or uncoupling of cars in a trainset occurs during commercial service at an intermediate station, the automatic coupling device is able to perform this operation in less than 2 minutes.
This is definitely in line with Class 395 train performance.
This document from the Hitachi web site talks about the design of Hitachi’s Class 385 trains for Scotland. This is said.
The lead and rear railcars have an automatic coupler at the front and walk-through gangway hoods. When train sets are coupled together, the hoods fit together as part of the automatic coupling operation to provide access between train sets, meaning that passengers and staff are able to move freely from one train set to another.
Obviously, Hitachi have got automatic splitting and joining of trains spot on!
Current Split/Join Services
There are several places in the UK network, where splitting and joining of trains is used.
- Southeastern Highspeed do it at Ashford.
- Great Northern Kings Lynn do it at Cambridge.
- Southern do it at Haywards Heath.
- Virgin Trains do it at Crewe.
- South West Trains do it at Southampton.
But currently only the Class 395 trains can do it automatically.
The in-service entry of the Class 800 trains will change everything, as it will make a lot more new routes possible.
Virgin Trains East Coast
Currently, Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) run two trains per hour (tph) between Kings Cross and Leeds. In the Peak, some services are extended to Bradford Forster Square, Skipton and Harrogate, where the last route is not electrified.
Will some services to Leeds be run by two five-car Class 800/801 trains working together as a ten-car train?
- Class 800 trains are electro-diesel which could work to Harrogate under diesel power.
- Class 801 trains are all-electric, which could work all electrified routes from Leeds.
At Leeds the two trains could separate, with each train going to a different destination. Reading Hitachi’s published documents, the split would take under two minutes at Leeds and I don’t think there would be a restriction of a Class 800 and a Class 801 working together between Kings Cross and Leeds using the overhead electrification.
VTEC gets advantages by using this split and join approach.
- Frequencies and train length to the eventual destinations can be adjusted to what the market will sustain.
- Extra expensive train paths between the split/join station and London are not needed.
- Between the split/join station and London, the train can usually run using electrification.
- Costs are probably saved, if only a half-train is run to some destinations, as track access charges are based on weight.
- A five-car electro-diesel could probably access more routes than a nine-car train.
This is the fleet that VTEC have ordered.
- Class 800 – 10 x five-car
- Class 800 – 13 x nine-car
- Class 801 – 12 x five-car
- Class 801 – 30 x nine-car
These Class 800 and Class 801 trains give VTEC all sorts of of possibilities.
The backbone of the service which is a half-hourly service to Edinburgh probably needs about 35 nine-car trains, some of which would be electro-diesels to work North of the electrification to Aberdeen and Inverness.
But that still leaves quite a few five-car trains available for other services.
Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway (GWR) will probably use their Class 800/801802 trains in a similar manner.
This is the fleet that GWR have ordered.
- Class 800 – 36 x five-car
- Class 800 – 21 x nine-car
- Class 802 – 22 x five-car
- Class 802 – 14 x nine-car
Note that the electro-diesel Class 802 train is similar to the Class 800, but with the engines tuned for more power and larger fuel tanks, so it can handle Devon and Cornwall routes easier.
I think that given the number of five-car trains on order and the lack of promised electrification, I think that GWR will be using splitting and joining in some surprising places, to make sure that as many routes as possible get the new trains.
The Stadler Flirt
This article on Railway Technology describes the Stadler Flirts built for Swiss Federal Railways. This is said.
The train consists of articulated train sets, which contains light rail cars attached semi-permanently sharing a common bogie. The trains are available in two to six car combinations with two to six motorised axles. The automatic couplers, installed at both the ends of the trains, permit connection and disconnection of up to four train cars easily and quickly.
Does this mean that two trains can split and join like the Hitachi trains?
The Bombardier Aventra
The Aventra is a train that has been designed to have everything that customers might need. This is the description of the train in Wikipedia.
The train has been designed to be lighter and more efficient, with increased reliability. It will have lightweight all-welded bodies, wide gangways and doors to shorten boarding times in stations, and ERTMS. The design incorporates FlexxEco bogies which have been used in service on Voyagers and newer Turbostars. The gangway is designed to allow maximum use of the interior space and ease of movement throughout the train.
As Hitachi have published a lot of their thinking on Class 800/801 trains on the Internet, I would find it astounding that Bombardier and the other train building companies haven’t read it.
There have been four orders for the Aventras so far, which total over two thousand carriages.
Two of these orders are for mixed fleets of five-car and ten-car trains.
Are these trains and half-trains just like with the Hitachi trains?
If the answer is in the affirmative, I think it is very likely that Aventras will have the capability of splitting and joining automatically.
Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia has a complex route structure that fans out from a very busy electrified core into Liverpool Street on both their main lines.
They have ordered 89 x five-car and 22 x ten-car of Class 720 trains.
Many of their outer-suburban routes currently run twelve-car services and as their two main lines are only double-track, I can see a lot of five car trains working in pairs.
In Harlow Council Leader Jon Clempner Hopes Crossrail 2 Will Extend To Town, I suggested that Greater Anglia might use splitting and joining on the West Anglia Main Line to get four tph on the Hertford East Branch.
It may not be practical in that case, but Greater Anglia have several electrified branches.
South Western Railway
South Western Railway have a similar route structure to Greater Anglia, with a very busy electrified core into Waterloo.
They have ordered 30 x five-car and 60 x ten-car of Aventra trains.
In Waterloo Upgrade August 2017 – Virginia Water Station, I talked about used splitting and joining to provide a better service on the Waterloo to Reading Line and the Chertsey Branch.
However, I think that most services will be run by ten-car trains given the make-up of the fleet.
The five-cars could generally run on routes where the capacity only needs five-car trains or the infrastructure wouldn’t allow anything longer.
They could then split and join to maximise the capacity and use only one path from the split/join station to Waterloo.