The Anonymous Widower

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.

But.

• The station is in an area, which Sheffield want to develop.
• The Advanced Manufacturing Centre is nearby.
• There are aspirations to run a tram-train between Sheffield and Chesterfield via Darnall, Woodhouse and Barrow Hill stations.
• The station could be on the tram-train route to Stocksbridge, that I wrote about in Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services.

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 AnonW | Transport/Travel | Automatic Splitting And Joining Of Trains, Beverley Station, Class 802 Train, Digital Signalling, East Coast Digital Programme, East Coast Main Line, FirstGroup, FirstGroup's Proposed Sheffield Service, High Speed Rail, High Speed Two, High Speed Yorkshire, Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train, Hope Valley Line, Hull Station, Hull Trains, InterCity 225, King's Cross Station, Lincoln, LNER, Penistone Line, Retford Station, Sheffield and Lincoln Line, Sheffield Station, Sheffield Supertram, Sheffield Tram-Train, Stocksbridge, Woodhouse Station | 5 Comments