LNER « The Anonymous Widower

The Long Platforms At Liverpool Street Station

I was on Liverpool Street station today and I took these pictures.

It got me thinking.

I was standing On Platform 1 and on Platform 2 was a pair of five-car Class 720 trains coupled together.
The pair of five-car Class 720 trains would be 244 metres long, which mean that the platforms could handle nine-car Class 800 or Class 345 trains.
There would appear to be plenty of platform space in Liverpool Street station.
In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER were checking an Azuma train could use the route to Cleethorpes.
In London North Eastern Railway Runs Trial Train To Liverpool Street, I talked about how LNER had ran a train into Liverpool Street.

The general consensus seems to be, that points 3 and 4, are about several things.

Adding Grimsby and Cleethorpes to LNER’s list of destinations.

Possibly adding Spalding, Sleaford, Market Rasen and Barnetby to LNER’s list of destinations.

Providing a faster service between London and Grimsby/Cleethorpes.

Providing a diversion route because of engineering or blockades on the East Coast Main Line.

Nearly twenty years ago, I used to play real tennis, with a guy, who was on a committee, that planned the future of the Cambridge region.

One of the things he said was that Cambridge was full and there is not enough lab space, factories and housing.
He felt that Peterborough would make an excellent satellite for Cambridge.
However, transport links and especially the trains are not the best between Cambridge and Peterborough.
I wonder, if Cambridge’s overcrowding is spreading the Cambridge Effect into Lincolnshire and the number of rail passengers between Lincoln and Cambridge is growing.

So have LNER taken the bull by the horns and are planning to run a London Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service via Cambridge?

It might perhaps run at least six trains per day (tpd) in both directions.
Stops could include Stratford, Cambridge South, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, March, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
Trains could be a five-car Class 800 train.
The route is fully-electrified between London and Ely.

Note.

The London King’s Cross and Lincoln service could be discontinued.
Connection between Cambridge and Lincolnshire is much improved.
The developing energy powerhouse in North-East Lincolnshire gets a connection to Cambridge and London.
There could be same-platform interchange at Peterborough for passengers between Cambridge and the North.
By going via Cambridge, one less train needs to use the bottleneck over the Digswell viaduct.

LNER are trying to get the most out of the new December 2024 East Coast Main Line timetable and I do wonder if a London Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes servce is part of that exercise.

January 31, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Cambridge Station, Class 345 Train, Class 720 Train, Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, East Coast Main Line, Grimsby Town Station, Liverpool Street Station, LNER | 5 Comments

Project To Improve Mobile Connectivity On East Coast Main Lone Reaches Key Milestone

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on LNER.

This is the sub-heading.

LNER, Network Rail and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are collaborating to improve mobile connectivity on the East Coast Main Line.

These three paragraphs outline the project.

The joint project, which is delivering new mobile phone infrastructure into tunnels outside London King’s Cross station, has reached an important milestone, with the installation of a bespoke antenna. The work inside Gasworks and Copenhagen tunnels will mean most customers can expect a more reliable and consistent mobile phone and on-train Wi-Fi connection and see the removal of ‘not-spots’ customers can experience when travelling through the tunnels.

The successful delivery of the project, funded by LNER working in collaboration with Network Rail and major mobile network operators, will mean the tunnels will be the first on the country’s operational railway to be fitted with the bespoke solution, with the system installed by rail connectivity and technology integration specialist Linbrooke. Rigorous testing has been carried out at Network Rail’s Innovation and Development Centre between Network Rail and the phone companies before introduction onto the network.

The technology will mean from later this year most customers will be able to maintain direct voice and data access to their mobile provider, keeping their calls connected and meetings online as they approach and leave the capital.

Anything that improves connectivity is to be welcomed.

January 26, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Innovation, LNER, Mobile Phone, Tunnels | Leave a comment

High Speed Yorkshire

In December 2019, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?, which I started like this.

As currently envisioned, High Speed Two is very much an English project, with the following routes

London and Birmingham
London and Liverpool via Birmingham
London and Manchester Airport/Manchester via Birmingham and Crewe
London and Sheffield via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub
London and Leeds via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub

There are large numbers of mid-sized towns and cities that it won’t serve directly.

This is what I said about the East Coast Main Line in the post.

The East Coast Main Line serves the following routes.

London and Bradford
London and Cambridge
London and Edinburgh via Doncaster, York and Newcastle
London and Harrogate via Leeds
London and Hull
London and Kings Lynn via Cambridge
London and Lincoln via Newark.
London and Leeds via Doncaster
London and Middlesbrough
London and Skipton via Leeds
London and Sunderland

The East Coast Main Line could become another high speed line.

Extra services could be added.

London and Norwich via Cambridge
London and Nottingham
London and Grimsby and Cleethorpes via Lincoln.
London and Sheffield via Retford.

Add the East Coast Main Line and High Speed Two together and there could be a wider range of towns and cities served.

Peterborough and Doncaster could play the same role in the East as Birmingham and Crewe will play in the West.
The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster will be upgraded to in-cab ERTMS signalling in a few years time, which will allow 140 mph running on several sections of the route.
Improvements are either under way or being planned to reduce bottlenecks on the East Coast Main Line.
If High Speed Two can handle eighteen trains per hour (tph), then surely the East Coast Main Line, which has a lot of quadruple track, can handle upwards of twelve 140 mph trains per hour between London and Doncaster, after the improvements to track and signalling.
I estimate that 140 mph running between London and Doncaster could save as much as twenty minutes.
I feel that Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York could all be reached in under two hours from London using the existing Azuma trains.
This morning the 0700 from Kings Cross is timetabled to reach York at 0852. Would it be possible for London and York to be around just ninety minutes?
Savings would also apply to trains between London and Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Scotland and Sunderland.
Sub-four hour journeys between London and Edinburgh would be commonplace.

Note that the Internet gives a driving time of nearly three and a half hours between London and Leeds. Surely, two hours or less on High Speed Yorkshire would be much preferable.

I would add this infrastructure.

There might be a good case to create electrified routes to Hull and Sheffield and between Sheffield and Leeds, but they wouldn’t be needed to start the service or obtain the time savings. But they would ease operation, cut carbon emissions and save a few more minutes.
A station at Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.
A parkway station at Barnsley on the Dearne Valley Line with direct services to Doncaster, Leeds, London and Sheffield.

The two latter improvements have been proposed in Sheffield Region’s transport plans.

High Speed Yorkshire should be finished as soon as possible. A completion date of 2024 is not unreasonable.

This was the first time I used the term High Speed Yorkshire.

Benefits Of Digital Signalling On The East Coast Main Line

The obvious benefit is there will be 140 mph running on several stretches of the East Coast Main Line.

But as a Control Engineer, I believe that the digital signalling can be used to eliminate two major bottlenecks on the route.

The Digswell Viaduct, which I wrote about in Is There An ERTMS-based Solution To The Digswell Viaduct?.
The Newark Flat Crossing, which I wrote about in Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?.

Digital Signalling will also offer techniques to run more trains per hour on the route.

LNER Orders CAF Tri-Mode Sets

The title of this section, is the same as this article in the December 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, which has this paragraph.

Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.

Note.

This surprised me, as I’d always expected the Yorkshire routes will be served by Hitachi battery-electric trains.
But it does look that both Harrogate and Hull stations, have long enough platforms to hold a ten-car train.
With their tri-mode technology, it also looks like the CAF trains won’t be needed to be charged before returning to London.

The last point would enable them to try out new routes.

But it does look like LNER are planning to strengthen their Yorkshire routes.

Does Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, also mean that they’re looking at a service to Cleethorpes?
The curtailment of High Speed Two was hard on Yorkshire.
The Government has had time to get a verdict from experts on TransPennine Express.

It could just be that, it’s easier to sell rail tickets to Yorkshire folk, than Lancashire folk.

FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service

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

These two 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.

Note.

FirstGroup want to run two trains per day (tpd) between London King’s Cross and Sheffield stations via Retford.
Services will be non-stop between London King’s Cross and Retford.
The service will be run by Hull Trains.
I suspect that Hull Trains will use a fleet of identical Hitachi trains for both services.
Hull Trains could decarbonise the services by using battery-electric trains.
I believe a time of 82 minutes will be possible between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
High Speed Two were promising a time of 87 minutes for their route from London Euston via Birmingham and Nottingham.

I believe there could be up to seven tpd to both Hull and Sheffield.

Timings On High Speed Yorkshire

In FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service, I felt the following is possible, between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

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.

I will use these timings to calculate other possible times.

Current time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 82 minutes
Digitally signalled average speed between Woolmer Green and Retford – 135 mph
Digitally signalled time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 68 minutes
Digitally signaled time between London King’s Cross and Sheffield – 82 minutes

These are my estimated timings from London King’s Cross.

Barnetby via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes

Barnetby via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 128 minutes

Barnsley via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 112 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Beverley

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Bradford Foster Square via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Bradford Interchange via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 166 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Brighouse via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 143 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Brough

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Cleethorpes via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 141 minutes

Cleethorpes via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Darlington

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 116 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 127 minutes

Doncaster

Operator: Grand Cenreal, Hull Trains, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 76 minutes

Durham

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 136 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 160 minutes

Eaglescliffe

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Edinburgh

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 220 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 234 minutes

Grantham

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 53 minutes

Grimsby Town via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 134 minutes

Grimsby Town via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 148 minutes

Halifax via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 153 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Harrogate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 147 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Hartlepool

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 175 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Horsforth

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 124 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Huddersfield via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 161 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Huddersfield via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 140 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Hull

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Keighley via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 178 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 81 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes

Lincoln via Newark Northgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 85 minutes

Lincoln via Peterborough

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 99 minutes

Market Rasen via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Market Rasen via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 115 minutes

Meadowhall via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 90 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Middlesbrough

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Mirfield via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Ccentral

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 136 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Newark Northgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 60 minutes

Newcastle

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 137 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 145 minutes

Northallerton

Operator: Grand Central, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 126 minutes

Peterborough

Operator: Grand Central, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 40 minutes

Pontefract Monkhill

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 103 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Retford

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 68 minutes

Selby

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 92 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 87 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 82 minutes

Shipley via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 168 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Skipton via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 191 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Sleaford

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 83 minutes

Spalding

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 61 minutes

Sunderland

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 194 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Thirsk

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Thornaby

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes

Wakefield Kirkgate

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 118 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Wakefield Westgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 95 minutes

Worksop

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 81 minutes

York

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 84 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 98 minutes

Note.

Times have improved because of the digital signalling.
As the digital signalling goes further North timings will will come down further.
Unelectrified branches like those to Beverley, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Sheffield will be improved and further bring down times.

Sheffield could be as low as 80 minutes, with York at 91 minutes.

January 21, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Digswell Viaduct, FirstGroup, High Speed Rail, High Speed Two, High Speed Yorkshire, LNER, Newark Crossing, Sheffield Station, TransPennine Express, Yorkshire | Leave a comment

An Excursion To Retford And Worksop

Today’s excursion was designed to be simple.

Take an LNER train or a Hull Train to Retford station.
Travel to Worksop station, have a look and take a few pictures.
Travel back to Retford and take the first train back to London.
In one if my two visits to Retford, have a look and take a few pictures.
Talk to passengers and railway staff about what they felt about FirstGroup’s Proposed Sheffield Service, that I wrote about in FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service.

These were my thoughts and observations.

LNER’s Improved Ticketing

These pictures show the tickets that I bought.

Note.

I bought my ticket to Retford from the Ticket Office at King’s Cross station.
The ticket seller gave me a well-designed folder for the tickets.
I was also able to buy my return ticket between Retford and Worksop on the LNER train to Retford. I’ve tried doing that before and it wasn’t allowed.

Making ticketing easier must be a good thing for passengers, staff and LNER.

£24.75 With A Railcard From King’s Cross to Retford

The second picture shows my ticket to Retford.
It cost me just £24,75 with my Senior Railcard.
I also bought it about half-an-hour before the train left.
I bought the ticket in the Ticket Office.
I got a forward-facing window seat with an unrestricted view.

How much would the 145 mile and nearly three-hour journey have cost in a car?

I Missed My Connection At Retford Station

These pictures show my train to Worksop station in Platform 3 at Retford station, as I approached from the South.

Note.

The Northern Trains’s Class 195 train arriving on Platform 3 on the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.

I arrived in Platform 2 at Retford station at 12:50
There were three lifts or sets of stairs to negotiate between Platform 2 and Platform 3.
It must take at least five minutes between the two platforms.
One of the lifts was out of order and was being serviced by an engineer.
There was no way, I could have caught the connection, which left at 12:51.
At least one other passenger, had to wait the one hour and fifteen minutes I waited for the next train, which arrived at 14:03.

I feel that there needs to be a timetable adjustment here, so that as many passengers as possible avoid the long wait.

Retford Station

At least the long wait allowed me to take a lot of pictures and have a cup of coffee in the Costa Coffee on Platform 1.

Note.

The toilets were immaculate.
The Costa Coffee had friendly and professional staff, but only rudimentary gluten-free options.
The station is fully step-free with four lifts.
Platforms 1 and 2 on the East Coast Main Line can take a pair of five-car Class 802 trains, as Hull Train demonstrated.
The Hull Train in Platform 2 was using the electrification.
The station is in very good condition.
The station is Grade II Listed.

This Google Map shows the station.

Note.

The red arrow in the South-East corner are the low-level Platforms 3 and 4.
The red arrow in the middle marks the low-level Platforms 1 and 2.
Network Rail’s yellow Mobile Maintenance Train is visible in the siding opposite Platform 2.
There is space around the platforms.

The station may have development possibilities. Especially, as there are signs of To Let over some of the buildings.

Ambitious Renewable Energy

Retford and Worksop are only eleven minutes away but there were a large wind farm and solar farms between the two stations.

Note.

I was a bit slow on the uptake and missed the large wind farm.
The strong sun was reflecting on the windows.
They weren’t the best of photographs.

I had intended to take more and better pictures on the way back, but circumstances intervened.

This Google Map shows the wind and solar farms.

Note.

The Sheffield and Lincoln Line going across the map.
There are solar panels North and South of the railway.
This is the Walkers Wood Solar Farm, which has a nameplate capacity of 27 MW.
H M Prison Ranby is at the top of the map.
The scars of the wind turbines are to the West of Babworth and the crematorium.
At the moment, I can’t find any reference to the wind farm.

These wind and solar farms are probably a classic place to position a battery.

Prisons And Recycling

Worksop Station

I took these pictures during the time I spent at Worksop station.

Note.

The station is not step-free, although you can cross the tracks using the level-crossing.
The station has a pub and a cafe.
There are train services to Leeds, Lincoln, Nottingham and Sheffield.
The station is in very good condition.
The station is Grade II Listed.
The platforms are long enough to handle a Class 802 train without any modification.
Hull Trains could run their Sheffield service to Worksop station without any new infrastructure.
Lidl are developing a site on the other side of the level crossing.
There are 100 car parking spaces.

The station may have development possibilities.

Worksop Station Cafe

These pictures show the Worksop station cafe.

Note.

It is run by two ladies; Jo and Lyndsey.
As one is coeliac, there were lots of gluten-free cakes.
It was cosy and warm on a cold day.

This is definitely one of the better station cafes.

A Double Incident

My journey back to the capital was I suspect untypical.

I’d arrived at Worksop at 14:14 and finally left at 16:38 on a train for Retford and Lincoln.
The delay was because someone had been hit by a train between Barnsley and Sheffield, which resulted in cancelled trains.
When I arrived at Retford at 16:49, there was an LNER train in the platform.
It was the 15:15 from Leeds and I was told by LNER staff to catch it and get my ticket on the train.
The train finally left Retford for London 69 minutes late at 17:07.
We arrived in Peterborough at 19:27, where the train was now 170 minutes late.
The delay was because someone had been hit by a train at Newark, which results in delays everywhere.
LNER decided to give up on the train and all passengers were put on other trains.
I got on the 14:30 from Edinburgh, which arrived in King’s Cross at 20:22, which was 96 minutes late.

Worse things happen at sea.

I am adding this a day after my trip to the North.

This article on the BBC is entitled ‘Major Disruption’ After Person Hit By A Train.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Train services on the East Coast Main Line have been seriously disrupted after a person was hit by a train in North Yorkshire.

Network Rail said the incident happened just before 07:00 GMT between York and Thirsk, with emergency services attending the scene shortly afterwards.

The line was blocked, resulting in delays and cancellations.

Three in two days us three too many.

January 9, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Design, Food, Transport/Travel | Class 195 Train, Class 802 Train, Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Costa, FirstGroup, FirstGroup's Proposed Sheffield Service, Good Design, Hull Trains, King's Cross Station, LNER, Northern Trains, Onshore Wind Power, Railcard, Retford Station, Sheffield and Lincoln Line, Solar Power, Ticketing, Worksop, Worksop Station | 1 Comment

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’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.

The press release says this is only the first phase.
It appears to be an extension of Hull Trains.
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.

Trains must be capable of having a range sufficient to go from the East Coast Main Line to the destination and back again.
It is slightly surprising that Sheffield station is closest to the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
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.

Getting a high average speed using the power of digital signalling can save several minutes.
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.

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.
There will be a couple of minutes to add for the stop at Retford.
I feel a typical journey with 125 mph to Retford, 50 mph to Sheffield, could take 94 minutes
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.

The second option means that they fully-decarbonise Hull Trains.
Neither option would need any new infrastructure.
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.

The red tracks are electrified and are the East Coast Main Line.
The black ones aren’t electrified.
Doncaster is to the North.
The black line to the East goes to Lincoln
The black line to the West goes to Sheffield
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.

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

This third OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms in more detail.

Note.

The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
Northbound tracks are to the left of each pair of lines.
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.
Platform 1 is on the Southbound relief line.
Platform 2 is on the Northbound relief line.
Unusually, both platforms are on the same side of the line.
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.
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.

The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
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.

The green tracks are the 60 mph Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
Sheffield is to the West.
The blue tracks are the curve that connects Platform 2 in Retford station to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
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.

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

It is certainly surrounded by a lot of houses.
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.

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

New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability

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

This is the text of the article.

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

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

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

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

This article has got me thinking.

The InterCity225 Trains Need Replacing Urgently

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

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

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

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

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

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

So there were InterCity 225s running on that day.

A Few Distances Around Lincolnshire

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

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

These are a few selected distances.

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

Note.

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

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

CAF Tri-Mode Trains And The Joint Line

This is the first sentence in the Modern Railways article.

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

Note.

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

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

Hitachi Class 801 Trains And The Joint Line

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

Hitachi Class 800/802 Trains And The Joint Line

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

Hitachi Class 803 Trains And The Joint Line

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

Hitachi Class 80x Trains With Batteries And The Joint Line

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

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

This is a paragraph.

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

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

The page has this sub-heading.

Accelerate the decarbonisation of intercity rail with batteries

These are the first two paragraphs.

A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.

Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.

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

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

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

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

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

Note.

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

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

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

Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.

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

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

Note.

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

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

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

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

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

Consider.

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

The article also says this.

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

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

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

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

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

Consider.

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

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

This would mean the following times between Doncaster and Peterborough.

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

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

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

Consider.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could Cleethorpes Services Be Paired With The York Service?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These would include.

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

They would also have taken in possible diversion routes.

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

Note.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These journeys will probably all be possible.

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

These will be fully decarbonised at a later date.

January 1, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Class 802 Train, Class 803 Trains, Decarbonisation, FirstGroup, Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE), InterCity 225, LNER, Lumo, Porterbrook | Leave a comment

What Will Be The Power Unit In LNER’s New CAF Tri-Mode Trains?

There is a short article in the January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, that is entitled New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability.

This is said about the diesel engines in the new CAF tri-mode trains.

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

As the paragraph says that the diesel engines can be replaced by batteries and the trains are from CAF’s modular Civity family, it sounds like CAF are using a modular power system.

The CAF Class 195, 196 and 197 diesel multiple units, that are used in the UK, use mtu Railcar Power Packs, which are shown on this web page.

mtu are a Rolls-Royce subsidiary.

mtu also make a Hybrid Power Pack, which is shown on this web page.

This is the sub-title on the web page.

Individual hybrid drive with a modular design

Underneath is this sub-heading.

It takes revolutionary thinking to develop a smart rail drive system like the Hybrid PowerPack. Find out what makes mtu different, and why our Hybrid PowerPack brings added value to operators while benefiting passengers and the environment alike.

These paragraphs describe the mtu Hybrid PowerPack.

The Hybrid PowerPack was developed from the successful mtu underfloor drives: Tried and tested mtu PowerPacks were modified and equipped with additional components and functionalities in order to integrate hybrid technology. The mtu hybrid concept consists of a modular kit with a variety of drive elements. It satisfies all existing railway standards and can be arranged according to customer specifications.

Thanks to its compact design and the use of power-dense electrical machines, the Hybrid PowerPack can be easily integrated in the existing installation space under the floor, both in new rail vehicles or for repowering. mtu EnergyPacks – the energy storage – can be positioned at various places in the vehicle: on the roof or underfloor. The modular design creates great flexibility for operators who are planning new diesel hybrid vehicles or want to convert existing vehicles.

Based on specifications for the hybrid train and the profile of the planned routes, mtu can simulate the lifecycle costs (capital, maintenance and operating costs) of specific projects. This means that a variety of drive options can be defined even before the design stage. Together with you, we then determine an optimal concept based on your needs.

Note.

mtu Hybrid PowerPacks can be used in new rail vehicles or for repowering.
It looks to me, that the total of 161 of Class 195, 196 and 197 trains, that will soon be all in service in the UK may well have been designed to be converted to hybrid power using mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
In Would You Buy A Battery Energy Storage System From Rolls-Royce?, I talk about how mtu EnergyPacks are also used for battery storage.
In fact, mtu EnergyPacks could be the secret ingredient to both systems.

This looks like a typical Rolls-Royce product, that pushes the design to the full.

I will be very surprised if LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains are not powered by mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.

I have a few thoughts.

CAF Are Going For A Proven Solution

CAF are going for a proven power solution, that they will also need for 161 trains in the UK.

Integration of systems like these can be difficult but CAF are using another company to combine diesel, electric and battery power in an efficient way.

I also feel that mtu Hybrid PowerPacks have a big future and Rolls Royce mtu will do what it takes to make sure they dominate the market.

Decarbonising The Trains

I suspect given Rolls-Royce’s philosophy, that the diesel engines will run on sustainable fuels from delivery.

But as the extract from the Modern Railways article says, the space used by diesel engines can be used for batteries.

Follow The Money

Consider.

Porterbrook and Rolls-Royce are both based in Derby.
Porterbrook are a rolling stock leasing company, who own a lot of rolling stock, that could be converted to hybrid trains, using mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
Porterbrook are financing LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Porterbrook and Rolls-Royce have done a lot of due diligence on these trains.

Other Train Operators Will Follow

LNER’s new CAF tri-mode trains may be a bespoke design for LNER, but other train operators will need a similar train.

CrossCountry need a replacement low-carbon fleet.
ScotRail need a replacement fleet for their Inter7City services.
Great Western Railway need a replacement fleet for their GWR Castles.
Grand Central need a replacement low-carbon fleet.
TransPennine Express need new trains.
Open Access Operator Grand Union Trains will need trains.

I think CAF are gong to be busy.

Conclusion

The more I read about Rolls-Royce and its engineering, the more I’m impressed.

January 1, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 195 Train, Class 196 Train, Class 197 Train, CrossCountry Trains, Decarbonisation, Grand Union Trains, GWR Castles, Inter7City, LNER, mtu, mtu Hybrid PowerPack, mtuEnergyPack, Porterbrook, Rolls-Royce mtu, TransPennine Express | 7 Comments

Are LNER Going To Take On The Airlines?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newcastle

Newcastle is an interesting one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note.

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

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

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

Edinburgh

Edinburgh builds on the improvements South of Newcastle.

Edinburgh station Waverley is a well-connected station.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dundee

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

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

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

CrossCountry also run services.

Loganair has two flights per day to Heathrow.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen builds on the improvements South of Edinburgh.

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

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

Will this tempt travellers from the airlines?

Battery-Electric Trains To Dundee And Aberdeen

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

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

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

The electrification is split into four phases.

Haymarket and Dalmeny – 25 km
Kirkcaldy and Thornton North – 25 km.
Lochgelly and Thornton North – 20 km.
Thornton North and Ladybank – 34 km.

Note.

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

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

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

Inverness

Inverness has a problem.

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

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

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

Glasgow

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

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

Other Factors

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

First Class

Some travellers like a bit more comfort and service.

Ability To Work

Some travellers like to work on a train.

You Don’t Get Tables On a Plane

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

Views Tend To Be Better On a Train

Providing you get a window!

Parking Tends To Be Better At An Airport

But it may be more expensive!

Security Is Less Hassle On A Train

At the moment!

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

Not in the UK! Yet!

Conclusion

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

November 19, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Aberdeen, Aberdeen Airport, Avanti West Coast, Azuma Train, Biodiesel, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Digital Signalling, Dundee Station, East Coast Main Line, EasyJet, Electrification, Flying, Glasgow, Glasgow Airport, Highland Main Line, Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), InterCity 225, King's Cross Station, Ladybank Station, LNER, Newcastle, Newcastle Airport, Newcastle Station, Scotland, Stansted Airport, Tyne And Wear Metro | 2 Comments

Do LNER Have Plans For Lincolnshire?

I ask the question in the title of this post, for two reasons.

In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER had run a test train to Cleethorpes.
In First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line, I talked about LNER’s order for tri-mode long distance trains.

Note.

London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln is just over 200 miles.
Around eighty miles between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes is not electrified.
The Cleethorpes/Grimsby area is doing well because of all the offshore wind and the power stations at Keadby.
I am fairly sure, that Lincolnshire will attract more energy-related businesses or ones that need a lot of energy.
Lincoln is a city that is becoming more important for business and education.
Lincoln probably needs a train service to the capital of at least one train per hour (tph).

For a train to do the round-trip between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes, without refueling or charging the batteries at Cleethorpes, needs a train with a range without electrification of over 150 miles.

It seems to me, that LNER’s new CAF tri-mode long distance trains would be ideal to run a one train per two hours (tp2h), between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes.

The service could call at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
I estimate that the trip would take about 0ne hour and 55 minutes to Lincoln and two hours and 55 minutes to Cleethorpes.
The CAF tri-mode long distance trains could probably easily handle the 160 miles without wires.
Cleethorpes can handle a ten-car train.

The current London King’s Cross and Lincoln service and the future London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes would be timed to give Lincoln an hourly service to and from London King’s Cross.

Serving Sleaford And Spalding

It must surely be possible to route the Cleethorpes trains to the South of Lincoln, via Sleaford, Spalding and the new Werrington dive-under, so that Sleaford and Spalding would have a direct service to London.

Don’t Forget Skegness And Boston

Consider.

Skegness, Boston and other places are connected to the East Coast Main Line, by an hourly train to Nottingham via Grantham.

They are also connected to Lincoln and Peterborough at Sleaford.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the lines at Sleaford.

Note.

Sleaford station is marked with the blue arrow.
The orange track is the Peterborough and Lincoln Line, that avoids Sleaford.
The yellow track going East-West is the Grantham and Skegness Line.
There is a loop from the Peterborough and Lincoln Line, so that passenger trains can go through Sleaford station.

I think that there are possibilities to improve the experience at Sleaford.

One possibility must be to build a Park-and-Ride station, where the two lines cross.

How Many Trains Would Be Needed For London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes Via Peterborough?

I estimate that the journey time could be around two hours and 45-50 minutes, so perhaps a six-hour round trip would be possible.

To run an hourly service would need six trains, with three needed for one tp2h.

New Infrastructure Required

The only new infrastructure required, might be some method of refuelling the CAF tri-mode long distance train at Cleethorpes.

November 18, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, King's Cross Station, Lincoln Station, LNER, Peterborough Station, Sleaford Station, Spalding Station, Werrington Dive Under | Leave a comment

LNER’s New Sunday Timetable

LNER’s new Sunday timetable, that starts on the 10th December 2023 is now available to view on this page of the National Rail web site, where this is said.

Sundays are now one of the most popular days to travel on LNER’s network.

To support this increase in demand, LNER is introducing three additional Sunday services into its timetable starting in December 2023 – two (one each way) between Leeds and London Kings Cross and one between Doncaster and London.

There will also be more seats added to some trains with eight existing Sunday services becoming longer trains. The current five carriage services will be replaced with either nine or ten carriage Azuma trains for destinations including Leeds, Harrogate and Lincoln.

This equates to more than 3,000 additional seats on a Sunday and will help reduce overcrowding and increase connectivity for more people between Yorkshire and London.  

To provide additional Sunday seating capacity, due to the lengthening of some London Kings Cross to Harrogate services on Sundays, two northbound station calls at Horsforth need to be removed on Sundays only.  The impacted services are the 09.05 and 17:05 London Kings Cross to Harrogate trains.

Note.

Horsforth looks to have short platforms.
Last Sunday, Harrogate to London services were three nine-car and three five-car trains.
In September 2023, I wrote Yorkshire To See More LNER Services And Longer Trains.

LNER certainly seem to be fulfilling the last promise.

Additionally, in this article on Modern Railways, which is entitled LNER Orders CAF Tri-mode Sets, this is said.

Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.

So are LNER gradually moving towards the new timetable they will use after the CAF tri-mode trains are delivered?

November 18, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF Tri-Mode Train, Harrogate Station, Leeds Station, Lincoln Station, LNER, Yorkshire | Leave a comment

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The Anonymous Widower

The Long Platforms At Liverpool Street Station

Project To Improve Mobile Connectivity On East Coast Main Lone Reaches Key Milestone

High Speed Yorkshire

An Excursion To Retford And Worksop

FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service

New LNER Fleet To Have Joint Line Capability

What Will Be The Power Unit In LNER’s New CAF Tri-Mode Trains?

Are LNER Going To Take On The Airlines?

Do LNER Have Plans For Lincolnshire?

LNER’s New Sunday Timetable

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