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London North Eastern Railway Runs Trial Train To Liverpool Street

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

These two paragraphs, describe why this was done.

In an effort to mitigate the effect on passengers during disruption to services, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) ran one of its Azuma trains from Finsbury Park to London Liverpool Street during the early hours of this morning, Friday, 14th July.

The trial run took place to determine the long-term feasibility of diverting services during periods of planned disruption or when significant engineering works were taking place.

There doesn’t seem to have been any problems.

The route in from Finsbury Park station went through Canonbury, Dalston Kingsland, Hackney Central, Homerton, Hackney Wick, Stratford and Bethnal Green stations, which was a distance of 9.6 miles.
The route out to Finsbury Park station went through Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Dalston Kingsland and Canonbury, what was a distance of 5.8 miles.

Note.

Two different routes were checked.
The Class 800 train had five cars.
Platform 4 at Liverpool Street station was used, which is normally used by London Overground and Cambridge services.

As this comes so soon after the test run to Cleethorpes, that I wrote about in Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I wonder if Network Rail and the train operating companies are planning for some worst case scenario, where the two or more of the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Lone and East Coast Main Line are blocked.

LNER and Network Rail have shown the following.

Azumas can use Cleethorpes station.
Azumas can use Liverpool Street station.

We also know that Cleethorpes has a direct TransPennine train service across the North of England to Doncaster, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool.

So if say Euston has to be shut for perhaps fourteen days during the construction of High Speed Two, a service between Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes via Colchester, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and Lincoln could be used to get some passengers to and from the North.

The other big problem is the removal of the problems of the Newark Crossing, which if it results in a long blockade of the East Coast Main Line, might need services to go into an alternative London terminal.

The Powerhouse In The East

Consider.

The importance of Cambridge to the economy of the UK is growing fast.
The city suffers from a shortage of commercial premises, housing and staff at all levels.
I have just looked at the non-passenger traffic on the West Anglia Main Line for all of yesterday and there were just six freight trains through Bishop’s Stortford.

I wonder, if it would be possible to run a Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service via Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town?

The service avoids the East Coast Main Line, except through Peterborough, where it would use the separate Werrington lines.
Liverpool Street is in the heart of one of the world’s major financial centres.
Liverpool Street is on the Elizabeth Line.
The service could call at Stansted Airport, but a reverse would be needed.
Peterborough is sometimes promoted in Cambridge as a city, that could be developed, to provide support for Cambridge.
A reverse would be needed at Lincoln.
Lincoln is developing as a university city with character.
Grimsby and Cleethorpes are close to the fast expanding Humberside renewable energy and hydrogen cluster.

The service could be paired with a Liverpool Street and Norwich service, via Ely, Thetford, Attleborough and Wymondham.

The services could alternate every half hour or perhaps leave London as a pair and split and join at Cambridge.

Platform Availability At Kings Cross And Liverpool Street

Consider.

Digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line will increase the number of possible trains between London and the North.
LNER have said they want to increase services to the North and have identified a possible service to Cleethorpes.
Grand Central would like to increase services to Bradford.
Lumo have started services to Newcastle and Edinburgh from Kings Cross.
The Elizabeth Line now runs less services into Liverpool Street station.
The Elizabeth Line connects to Liverpool Street, but doesn’t connect to King’s Cross.
Liverpool Street is to undergo a major refurbishment, which should increase the overall passenger capacity of the station.

Would it be sensible to move a small number of services from King’s Cross to Liverpool Street?

Surely, the logical service to move to Liverpool Street would be the new Cleethorpes service.

It would route via Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
It would use the Werrington Lines through Peterborough.
It would not need a path on the East Coast Main Line.
The service would provide a much needed direct link between Cambridge and Lincoln via Peterborough.
The service could also be hourly or two-hourly.

I also believe that a Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service could be run by a battery-electric Azuma.

The route is electrified between Liverpool Street and Ely and through Peterborough.
Ely and Peterborough is 30 miles.
Peterborough and Lincoln is 56.9 miles.
Lincoln and Cleethorpes is 47.2 miles.
There would need to be a charging station or a few miles of electrification at Cleethorpes.
There may be 134.1 miles of unelectrified track, but there can be a Splash and Dash at Peterborough.

A Stadler Akku would be able to handle this route, so I suspect that a similar-sized battery-electric Azuma should also be able to handle the route.

July 19, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Bishop's Stortford Station, Cambridge, Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, East Coast Main Line, Elizabeth Line, Grand Central Trains, King's Cross Station, Lincoln Station, Liverpool Street Station, LNER, Lumo, Midland Main Line, Network Rail, Newark Crossing, Norwich Station, Peterborough, Stadler FLIRT Akku, West Anglia Main Line, West Coast Main Line | 3 Comments

Could East Midland Railway’s Leicester And Lincoln Service Be Extended To Burton On Trent?

After my trip to Lincoln and Cleethorpes earlier this week, I got to thinking about how train services could be improved in the area.

Cleethorpes As A Battery-Electric Train Hub Station

In Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023, this was my last sentence.

Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.

Services running to Cleethorpes station could be.

East Midlands Railway – Barton-on-Humber and Cleethorpes via Barrow Haven, New Holland, Goxhill, Thornton Abbey, Ulceby, Habrough, Stallingborough, Healing, Great Coates, Grimsby Town, Grimsby Docks and New Clee, which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Barton-on-Humber and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.
East Midlands Railway – Leicester and Cleethorpes via Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Collingham, Swinderby, Hykeham, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is not planned to be electrified and is 77.8 miles.
LNER – London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which would run at least two trains per day (tpd). Newark Northgate and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 60.6 miles.
TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Liverpool South Parkway, Warrington Central, Birchwood, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which runs hourly. Hazel Grove and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 101.4 miles.

Note.

All services to Cleethorpes could be run using a battery-electric train, with the range of a Stadler FLIRT Akku, which is 139 miles.
Cleethorpes station will soon have four terminal platforms. Could it be one platform for each service?
The 3.3 miles of single-track electrification would be between Cleethorpes and Grimsby stations.
I am assuming that all services should be at least hourly, except London King’s Cross.
If the frequency of services to London King’s Cross, were to be increased, the extra services would take-over paths of the East Midlands Railway services between Lincoln and Cleethorpes.
I am also assuming that the Midland Main Line electrification has been completed through Leicester to Nottingham, as is currently planned.

Cleethorpes will become a very well-connected station.

Collateral Benefits Of Cleethorpes As A Fossil Fuel-Free Station

If all services to Cleethorpes are run by battery-electric trains, then there will be collateral benefits.

All passenger train services in North-East Lincolnshire will be zero-carbon.
TransPennine Express’s Southern route between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster will be zero-carbon.
LNER’s services to London King’s Cross from Lincolnshire will be zero carbon.

Manchester and Sheffield will be linked by an hourly electric service, just as it was between 1953 and 1981.

The Ivanhoe Line

I wrote about the Ivanhoe Line in Reinstatement Of The Ivanhoe Line.

There is a proposed reinstatement of passenger services between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent stations.
I estimate it’s a distance of around 37 miles.
There would be some new stations on the route.

In the Wikipedia entry for the Ivanhoe Line, there is a section called Future, where this is said.

The intermediate stations are capable of taking only a two-coach train, which has led to overcrowding on some services, especially now that the service is extended to Nottingham and Lincoln. The latest Route Utilisation Strategy for the East Midlands makes recommendations for platform lengthening.

East Midlands Parkway railway station has now been built on the route. The Borough of Charnwood’s local plan of 2004 anticipates a station at Thurmaston.

In 2022 the closed section of the line was one of nine schemes chosen to undergo a feasibility scrutiny by Network Rail as part of the government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. If approved, work could start in 2024 and the line reopened in 2026

Note.

The first paragraph refers to the existing section of the Ivanhoe Line, to the North of Leicester.
I went to Burton once for the football and it’s a difficult place to get to from North London by train.
Burton-on-Trent station was fully refurbished in 2011.
Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services from CrossCountry trains.

It seems that a creditable plan is emerging.

Service Frequency Between Burton-on-Trent And Leicester

As Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services, I suspect that this will be the initial frequency between Burton-on-Trent and Leicester.

But I could see this frequency being increased, if there were long waits during interchange at Burton-on-Trent.

Average Speed Of The Service And Estimate For A Time Between Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent

The current Grimsby Town and Leicester service is over a route of 105.3 miles and a direct service takes two hours and thirty-seven minutes.

This is an average speed of 40.24 mph.

I can now give an estimate for a Cleethorpes and Burton-on-Trent service.

The distance will be 105.3+3.3+37, which is 145.6 miles.

An estimate of the time using a speed of 40.24 mph is three hours and thirty-seven minutes.

But seeing that a good proportion of the route has a 110 mph operating speed, I suspect that a 100 mph train could do the trip faster.

Could Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent Be Worked By A Battery-Electric Train?

The route could be effectively four sections.

Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town – 3.3 miles – Electrified
Grimsby Town and Nottingham – 77.8 miles – Not Electrified
Nottingham and Leicester – 27.5 miles – Being Electrified
Leicester and Burton-on-Trent – 37 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

In a round trip, there are two sections of 77.8 miles and two consecutive sections of 37 miles.
Battery-electric trains would be charged on the electrified section of the route.

I am sure that a battery-electric train with a range of greater than 77.8 miles would handle the service.

July 1, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Burton Station, Cleethorpes Station, CrossCountry Trains, East Midlands Railway, Ivanhoe Line, Leicester Station, Lincoln Station, Liverpool Lime Street Station, LNER, Midland Main Line, Nottingham Station, Restoring Your Railway Fund, Stadler FLIRT Akku, TransPennine Express | Leave a comment

Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023

I took these pictures at Cleethorpes station yesterday.

Compare them with this one taken three years ago.

Note.

It appears a Platform 4 has been created on the seaward side of the station.
The track in Platform 4 in yesterday’s pictures appears to be newly-ballasted, whereas three years ago it had an air of dereliction.
There is now a smart blue wooden fence separating the tracks from the station concourse.
Strangely, the lighting between Platforms 3 and 4 had been installed three years ago.
There are different types of lighting on the two islands. Could this be because Network Rail are looking for the lights that perform best in a seaside environment?

This Google Map shows Cleethorpes station.

Note.

The track in Platform 4 appears to be complete.
The station is very handy for the beach.

In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I said this.

It looks like three platforms 2, 3 and 4 at Cleethorpes station were checked.

I think it is possible to say, that once Network Rail’s brickies and paviours have tidied up, that Cleethorpes station will be LNER-ready and could accept a service from London via Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.

What Will Be The Initial Service Of The London and Cleethorpes Service?

The Wikipedia entry for Cleethorpes station, says this about the London service.

In the 1970s Cleethorpes had a twice daily return service to London King’s Cross, typically hauled by a Class 55 Deltic.

Three people, I spoke to about the possible service, mentioned that two trains per day would be the frequency.

I certainly think, that this frequency, could be a sensible initial frequency.

If it worked in the 1970s, I can see why it might work in the 2020s.

Kids still like to go to the seaside and the station is close.
This area of North-East Lincolnshire, is getting increasingly important as an energy and hydrogen powerhouse.
Cleethorpes station has the space to handle more train services.
Cleethorpes station has a small depot nearby, which could ease train operations, by stabling a train overnight for an early start in the morning.

But there is one factor that could attract passengers to use the train between King’s Cross and Cleethorpes. I believe that the soon-to-be-announced Hitachi battery-electric Class 800 trains could be able to handle the route without using a drop of fossil fuel.

Running Battery-Electric Class 800 trains Between King’s Cross And Cleethorpes

Consider.

Cleethorpes and Lincoln is 47.2 miles with three stops.
Lincoln and Newark Northgate, where the electrification starts is 16.7 files.
Cleethorpes and Newark Northgate is 63.9 miles, with an out-and-back trip being 127.8 miles.
Battery-electric trains would do most of their charging between King’s Cross and Newark Northgate.
Full or partial charging should be possible at both Cleethorpes and Lincoln.
Battery-electric trains could give help, in cases of catenary failure on the East Coast Main Line.
In What Will Be The Range Of A Hitachi Class 800 Battery Train?, I said that I believed a Class 800 battery train would eventually have a battery range in excess of the Stadler FLIRT Akku’s 139 miles, as no-one likes being second.

I believe these strategies are possible.

Charge A Round Trip At Cleethorpes

Consider.

This is a range of just 63.9 miles.
The service would use Platform 4 at Cleethorpes station.
Charging at Cleethorpes could be by a short length of overhead electrification in Cleethorpes station or a specialist charger in the small depot.
Charge time would be around 15 minutes.
If charging were in the station, there would be no shunting of trains around.

This could be a simple and efficient way to run the service.

A Battery Round Trip To Cleethorpes

This is a range of 127.8 miles.
The service would use Platform 4 at Cleethorpes station.
I believe that this service would need a simple charger at Cleethorpes station, as trains do get delayed and these delays on a battery-electric train, may increase the need for charging.
Also what would happen in Grimsby Town were at home to a London club in the FA Cup?

This could be a reliable way to run the service, but I believe drivers need a charging facility at Cleethorpes as a fail-safe backup.

Electrification Between Grimsby Town And Cleethorpes

In Between Lincoln And Cleethorpes – 28th June 2023, I said this.

3.3 miles between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes took just ten minutes.

All trains terminating at Cleethorpes would get at least twenty minutes of charging, every time, they turned round at the station.

Much of the route between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes is only single-track, so this could be a very affordable option.

I don’t think there would be many objectors to electrifying between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes.

An hourly train would use twenty minutes in ever hour between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes, it looks like the limit would be three trains per hour terminating at Cleethorpes.

So could the three trains be the following?

One train to Liverpool Lime Street.
One train to Lincoln, with alternate trains continuing to Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester and some trains to Kings Cross.
One train to Barton-on-Humber.

Note.

The Liverpool Lime Street train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Hazel Grove, which is 101.4 miles.
A London King’s Cross train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Newark Northgate, which is 60.6 miles.
A Leicester train, could use batteries between Grimsby Town and Leicester, which is 105.3 miles. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is 77.8 miles.
Leicester and Nottingham services would need electrification at the Western end.
King;s Cross, Leicester and Nottingham services would be arranged so Lincoln and Cleethorpes was an hourly service.
A Barton-on-Humber train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Barton-on-Humber , which is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.

Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.

June 29, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, East Midlands Railway, Grimsby Town Station, King's Cross Station, Lincoln Station, LNER, Network Rail, TransPennine Express | 2 Comments

Between Lincoln And Cleethorpes – 28th June 2023

I arrived at Lincoln at 1200 and had expected, there would be a train to Grimsby and Cleethorpes in a few minutes.

Wrong!

I had to wait until 13:32 for a train to Grimsby, where I changed for Cleethorpes.

The 43.9 miles between Lincoln and Grimsby Town took 53 minutes.

The 3.3 miles between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes took just ten minutes.

Note.

The Grimsby Town and Lincoln train only stops at Market Rasen, Barnetby and Habrough.

The Cleethorpes-bound change at Grimsby Town station includes a climb over a bridge without lifts.

The Lincoln-bound change is at least a walk-though to an adjacent platform.

There is a friendly cafe on the Cleethorpes-bound platform.

I took these pictures on the trip to Cleethorpes.

And these were taken on the way back.

Note.

There are around forty level crossings on the route.
The three stations that will be used by LNER; Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town, all appear to be in reasonable condition.
Market Rasen has Harrington Humps.
Barnetby station has zone markers and an amazing step-free bridge.
The maximum speed of the line appears to be 75 mph.

The track appeared to be in good condition and the Class 170 train was rolling along at a good speed.

These are my thoughts on improving the route.

More Trains Between Lincoln And Cleethorpes

Speaking to an East Midlands Railway conductor, it was obvious she felt more trains were needed between Lincoln and Cleethorpes.

As Skegness gets an hourly train from Nottingham, I would feel, that it is not unreasonable that Cleethorpes had an hourly train from Lincoln and perhaps one train per two hours (tp2h) from Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham.

The Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham service is already at 1 tp2h level with a change at Grimsby Town.

June 29, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Barnetby Station, Class 170 Train, Cleethorpes Station, Grimsby Town Station, Lincoln Station, LNER, Market Rasen Station | 1 Comment

The Lack Of Phone Charging On East Midlands Railways

I arrived at Lincoln station yesterday, after my trip from London, with a full battery on my phone, as LNER trains have charging points. But by the time I left Cleethorpes station to come home, my phone was dead, as I suspect the latest version of a news app, I use is a battery drainer.

There were also no charging points on TransPennine’s Class 185 trains or East Midlands Railways Class 170 trains.

Only, when I boarded a British Rail-era Class 158 train to get to Peterborough, was I able to recharge my phone.

There is surely a need for phone chargers on every train.

June 29, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 158 Train, Class 170 Train, Class 185 Train, East Midlands Railway, LNER, Mobile Phone, TransPennine Express | 5 Comments

Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.

This is the first paragraph.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) completed a test run from Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire and London King’s Cross, with the view to operating a direct service in the future.

These two paragraphs describe how the tests were carried out.

A first test train travelled from Doncaster on 26 June which called at Grimsby Town, Cleethorpes, Barnetby and Market Rasen. At each station, a series of platform and train validations were performed to ensure that a service could be compatible in the future.

On the journey itself, a specialist team travelled onboard, carried out a number of checks and assessments which is required for any potential new route or extension. A detailed assessment was undertaken. The findings will now be reviewed by the stakeholders.

The test run was in four sections.

5Q80 – Departed Doncaster Carr Lane Depot at 0817 and arrived Cleethorpes Platform 4 at 1000.
5Q81 – Departed Cleethorpes Platform 3 at 1054 and arrived Lincoln Central Platform 5 at 1219.
5Q82 – Departed Lincoln Central Platform 5 at 1226 and arrived Cleethorpes Platform 2 at 1355.
5Q83 – Departed Cleethorpes Platform 2 at 1528 and arrived Doncaster Carr Lane Depot at 1654.

Note.

These details came from Real Time Trains.
It looks like three platforms 2, 3 and 4 at Cleethorpes station were checked.
The route between Cleethorpes and Lincoln Central was checked both ways.
The route between Doncaster Carr Lane Depot and Cleethorpes was checked both ways.
Typically, each station stop took around 10-12 minutes, which probably gave adequate time for the specialist team to make their checks and assessments.
Class 800 trains run six times a day between Lincoln Central and King’s Cross, so I must assume that section is well-checked and has the correct clearances.
Lincoln Central station is 16.7 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Newark Northgate station.
Cleethorpes station is 52.1 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Doncaster station.
The distance between Lincoln Central and Cleethorpes stations is 47.2 miles.
The timing between Lincoln Central and Cleethorpes appears to be just under one hour and thirty minutes.

It looks like a thorough test has been performed.

I have a few thoughts.

Platforms At Cleethorpes Station

According to the Wikipedia entry for Cleethorpes station, the station has three platforms, which are numbered 1, 2 and 3.

These three pictures show Cleethorpes station in 2020.

Note.

The two trains are Class 185 trains of TransPennine Express.
The train in the left is in Platform 1.
Platform 2 appears to be empty.
The train on the right is Platform 3.

I would assume Platform 4 could be the derelict platform shown in the third picture at the right. Or it might be a typo!

But if it is felt that LNER will need their own platform, it would surely be a good idea to do all testing at the same time.

Initial Service Pattern

I would expect that the initial service pattern would follow that used for many new services.

There will be an early morning train up to London.
There will be a late afternoon or early evening return train.

Journey time could be around three hours and twenty minutes.

Once the demand is proven, extra trains to and from London might be added in the middle of the day.

Could This Service Be Served By Battery-Electric Class 800 Trains?

From a picture on this article on the BBC, the test run appears to have been carried out by a bi-mode Class 800 train.

The full route from Doncaster to King’s Cross has four sections.

Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52.1 miles – Unelectrified
Cleethorpes and Lincoln Central – 47.2 miles – Unelectrified
Lincoln Central and Newark Northgate – 16.7 miles – Unelectrified
Newark Northgate and King’s Cross – 120.1 – Electrified

To go between King’s Cross and Doncaster via Cleethorpes would need a battery-electric train with a range of 116 miles.

In What Will Be The Range Of A Hitachi Class 800 Battery Train?, I came to this conclusion about the battery range of a Class 800 train.

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

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

Note.

Trains would be charged using the existing electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
No new infrastructure would be required.

But for service recovery reasons, it could be prudent to add electrification to Platform 4 at Cleethorpes station.

Could TransPennine’s Service Between Doncaster and Cleethorpes Be Served By Battery-Electric Class 802 Trains?

As it is only a round trip of 104.2 miles, I don’t see why this couldn’t be done by say 2028.

Could LNER’s Service Between King’s Cross and Lincoln Be Served By Battery-Electric Class 800 Trains?

As it is only a round trip of only 33.4 miles, this is the easy trip to decarbonise.

June 27, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, King's Cross Station, Lincoln Station, LNER, TransPennine Express | 8 Comments

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

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

Previous Battery-Electric Trains

These are examples of previous distances.

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

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

Engineering Ambition

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

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

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

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

More On LNER’s Ten New Bi-Modes

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

This was my conclusion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note.

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

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

LNER’s Two Needs

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

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

Note.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inverness and Aberdeen will come later.

Conclusion

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

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

No-one likes being second!

June 27, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 379 Train, Class 777 Train, Class 800 Train, Class 802 Train, East Coast Digital Programme, Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE), Great Western Railway, Hyperdrive Innovation, InterCity 225, LNER, Stadler FLIRT Akku, Turntide Technologies | 3 Comments

Could Hull Station Be Electrified?

I took these pictures, as I passed through Hull station yesterday.

It appears that Hull station has a similar Victorian roof to Liverpool Lime Street and London Paddington, so I suspect the answer is yes.

These pictures show the platforms and overhead electrification at Liverpool Lime Street station, since the recent remodelling.

The electrification seems to be very traditional, with lots of steel gantries over the tracks.

These pictures show the platforms and overhead electrification at London Paddington station.

Note.

The roof seems to have extra tie-bars reaching across.
The wires seem to be hung from the roof.
At the end of the platform they are fixed to large arch supports.
Because Liverpool Lime Street’s electrification is newer than Paddington’s, it seems to have much more professional look.

After looking at the electrification in Liverpool Lime Street and Paddington, I believe that Hull station could be successfully electrified.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the platform layout at Hull station.

Note.

Yesterday, my trains arrived in and left from Platform 7, which is the Northern-most platform.
Other pictures in this blog show Hull Trains’s London service in Platform 7.
Yesterday all Class 802 trains to and from London run by Hull Trains and LNER used Platform 7.
I have been told by station staff, that Platform 7 can take a nine-car LNER Azuma.
In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I talk about ten-car Class 802 trains running to and from Hull.
Platform 7 or another platform at Hull station must be able to handle a ten-car train, which means that Hull station can handle a train, that is 260 metres long.

Looking at the station map, I believe that Hull station’s capacity for long express trains, is on a par with that of Liverpool Lime Street station.

I could see both stations handling two trains per hour (tph) across the Pennines and to and from London, with if necessary trains being formed of a pair of five-car trains.

How Many Services From Hull Station Can Be Run With Battery Trains?

Hull Trains service between London and Beverley travels for 44.5 miles on unelectrified track between Temple Hirst junction and Beverley.

Typically Hull Trains services wait in Hull station for the following times.

Going between London King’s Cross and Beverley – Between ten and fifteen minutes.
Returning to London King’s Cross – Upwards of twenty-five minutes.

I believe these waits in Hull station would mean that.

A train going North to Beverley will have a battery containing enough electricity to get the train to Beverley and back, which is a distance of 16.7 miles.
A train going South from Hull will have a battery containing enough electricity to get the train to Temple Hirst junction, which is a distance of 36.1 miles.

I believe that Hull Trains are currently working a timetable, that has been designed for operation by trains with a range on batteries of around fifty miles, provided there is electrification in at least one platform at Hull station to charge the trains.

It is also interesting to look at LNER’s two services that serve Hull.

The 0700 to London, is scheduled to arrive at Hull station at 0635 from stabling at Doncaster and waits up to twenty-five minutes before leaving for London.
The 2004 from London, is scheduled to arrive at Hull station at 2004 and waits up to twenty-five minutes before going South to overnight stabling in Doncaster.

It looks like LNER’s two trains follow Hull Trains rules.

They use Platform 7 in Hull station.
Trains going South have up to twenty-five minutes in the station.

It appears to me, that both Hull Trains and LNER are running a timetable, that would allow their services to be run using trains with a battery that had a range of around fifty miles, that could be fully-charged at Hull station before going South.

TransPennine Express run an hourly service to Liverpool Lime Street via Leeds and Manchester Victoria.

According to OpenRailwayMap’s map of electrification, when the TransPennine Upgrade is complete, the only section of the route without electrification will be the 42.1 miles between Hull and Micklefield.

As TransPennineExpress have some of the same Class 802 trains as Hull Trains, if there were at least two electrified platforms in Hull station, then Hull and Liverpool services could be run by battery-electric trains, with a similar specification to those of Hull Trains.

Northern Trains run an hourly service to Halifax via Leeds.

According to OpenRailwayMap’s map of electrification, , the only sections of the route without electrification will be the 42.1 miles between Hull and Micklefield and the 17.5 miles between Leeds and Halifax.

As Leeds and Micklefield is timetabled for seventeen minutes, I suspect this would be enough time to fully charge a battery-electric version of CAF’s Class 331 train and with charging in Hull station, then this route could be electrified.

Northern Trains also run other services, but because the Goole swing bridge is closed, I can’t get all the distances without electrification from Hull.

Ones I can find are.

Beverley – 16.7 miles for return trip.
Bridlington – 31.1 miles
Doncaster – 40.8 miles
Micklefield – 42.1 miles
Scarborough – 53.8 miles
Sheffield – 59.4 miles
Temple Hirst – 36.1 miles
York – 41.1 miles – Hull and Church Fenton

Note.

York and Doncaster are electrified.
Bridlington and Scarborough have suitable platforms where 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be installed to charge trains.
Sheffield and Doncaster is only 18.6 miles and this may be the way to electrify between Sheffield and Hull.
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I state that Hitachi’s battery-electric trains have a range of 43.5 miles

It looks if enough platforms are electrified at Hull, all current services from the city could be run by battery-electric trains.

Conclusion

I believe that by electrifying Hull station, that Hull could have a station consistent with the HumberZero philosophy, with battery-electric trains running hither and thither, handling all rail traffic to and from the City.

June 7, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Battery-Electric Class 331 Train, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 802 Train, Electrification, Hull Station, Hull Trains, HumberZero, Liverpool Lime Street Station, LNER, Micklefield Station, Paddington Station, Selby Station, TransPennine Express, TransPennine Upgrade | 2 Comments

Masons Of Yorkshire Distillery Enters Partnership With LNER

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

These two paragraphs outline the partnership.

A Yorkshire Distillery has entered a partnership with London North Eastern Railway for its vodka to be served in the railway’s first-class carriages.

In the agreement, Classic Vodka from the highly awarded Masons of Yorkshire Distillery will be the only vodka served on all first-class routes between Inverness, London Kings Cross, and Aberdeen and Kings Cross.

As the railways are now effectively controlled by the UK Government, perhaps we should see more British food and drink featuring on trains.

May 15, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Food, Transport/Travel | LNER, Masons Of Yorkshire, Spirits | Leave a comment

Thoughts On High Speed Two

These are a few thoughts about High Speed Two, after the reports of major changes today.

This article on the BBC is entitled HS2 Line Between Birmingham And Crewe Delayed By Two Years.

This is the sub-heading.

The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.

These are the three opening paragraphs.

Some of the design teams working on the Euston end of the line are also understood to be affected.

Transport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said it was “committed” to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.

HS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost £33bn but is now expected to be £71bn.

Delivering The Benefits Of High Speed Two Early

It is my belief that with a large project taking a decade or more , it is not a bad idea to deliver some worthwhile benefits early on.

The Elizabeth Line opened in stages.

The new Class 345 trains started replacing scrapyard specials in 2017.
The rebuilt Abbey Wood station opened in 2017.
Paddington local services were transferred to the Elizabeth Line in 2019.
Outer stations reopened regularly after refurbishment from 2018.
The through line opened in May 2022.

There’s still more to come.

Some projects wait until everything is ready and everybody gets fed up and annoyed.

Are there any parts of High Speed Two, that could be completed early, so that existing services will benefit?

In 2020, the refurbishment of Liverpool Lime Street station and the tracks leading to the station was completed and I wrote about the station in It’s A Privilege To Work Here!, where this was my conclusion.

Wikipedia says this about Liverpool Lime Street station.

Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world.

I’ve used Lime Street station for fifty-five years and finally, it is the station, the city needs and deserves.

I’ve been to grand termini all over the world and Lime Street may be the oldest, but now it is one of the best.

Are there any stations, that will be served by High Speed Two, that should be upgraded as soon as possible to give early benefits to passengers, staff and operators?

Avanti West Cost have solved the problem of the short platforms at Liverpool South Parkway station, by ordering shorter Class 807 trains. Will High Speed Two lengthen the platforms at this station?

A good project manager will need to get all the smaller sub-projects in a row and work out what is the best time to do each.

Digital Signalling

I would assume, as this will be needed for High Speed Two services in the West Coast Main Line to the North of Crewe, this is surely a must for installing as early as possible.

If the existing trains could run for a hundred miles at 140 mph, rather than the current 125 mph, that would save five worthwhile minutes.

Trains could run closer together and there is the possibility of organising services in flights, where a number of trains run together a safe number of minutes apart.

Remove Bottlenecks On Classic Lines, That Could Be Used By High Speed Two

I don’t know the bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line, but there are two on the East Coast Main Line, that I have talked about in the past.

Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?

Improving The North Throat Of York Station Including Skelton Bridge Junction

Hopefully, the digital signalling will solve them.

Any bottlenecks on lines that will be part of High Speed Two, should be upgraded as soon as possible.

Birmingham And Crewe

I will start by looking at the leg between Birmingham and Crewe.

This section of the HS2 map shows High Speed Two between Birmingham and Lichfield.

Note.

The blue circle on the left at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
The blue circle on the right at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Interchange station.
The High Speed Two to and from London passes through Birmingham Interchange station.
The branch to Birmingham Curzon Street station connects to the main High Speed Two at a triangular junction.
North of the triangular junction, High Speed Two splits.
The Eastern branch goes to East Midlands Parkway station.
The Northern branch goes to Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.

At the top of the map, the Northern branch splits and lines are shown on this map.

Note.

The junction where the Northern and Eastern branches divide is in the South-East corner of the map.
To the North of Lichfield, the route divides again.
The Northern purple line is the direct line to Crewe.
The shorter Southern branch is a spur that connects High Speed Two to the Trent Valley Line, which is the current route taken by trains between London Euston and Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.
Crewe station is in the North-West corner of the map.

The route between the junction to the North of Lichfield and Crewe is essentially two double-track railways.

High Speed Two with a routine operating speed of 205 mph.
The Trent Valley Line with a routine operating speed of 140 mph.
High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains can run on all tracks.
High Speed Two Full-Size trains may be able to run on the Trent Valley Line at reduced speed.
Eighteen trains per hour (tph) is the maximum frequency of High Speed Two.

I feel in an emergency, trains will be able to use the other route.

Will This Track Layout Allow An Innovative Build?

Suppose the link to the Trent Valley Line was built first, so that High Speed Two trains from London for Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland, could transfer to the Trent Valley Line as they do now.

All lines used by High Speed Two services North of the junction, where High Speed Two joins the Trent Valley Line would be updated with digital signalling and 140 mph running. This will benefit current services on the line. For instance Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services could be under two hours.
The current services would be replaced by High Speed Two services run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
The direct High Speed Two route between Lichfield and Crewe would now be built.
When this section of High Speed Two is complete, High Speed Two services would use it between Lichfield and Crewe.
As the direct route would be built later, this would delay the building of the Birmingham and Crewe high-speed route.

Currently, trains run the 41.8 miles between Lichfield and Crewe in 28 minutes, which is an average speed of 89.6 mph.

I can build a table of average speeds and times for Lichfield and Crewe.

100 mph – 25.1 minutes – 2.9 minutes saving
110 mph – 22.8 minutes – 5.2 minutes saving
120 mph – 20.9 minutes – 7.1 minutes saving
125 mph – 20.1 minutes – 7.9 minutes saving
130 mph – 19.3 minutes – 8.7 minutes saving
140 mph – 17.9 minutes – 10.1 minutes saving
160 mph – 15.7 minutes – 12.3 minutes saving
180 mph – 13.9 minutes – 14.1 minutes saving
200 mph – 12.5 minutes – 15.5 minutes saving

Note.

Even a slight increase in average speed creates several minutes saving.
Times apply for both routes.

I believe that a 125 mph average should be possible on the Trent Valley route, which may be enough for Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services to be under two hours.

Improving Classic Lines Used By High Speed Two North Of Lichfield

Real Time Trains shows these figures for a Glasgow Central to Euston service.

Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley is 298.2 miles.
Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley takes five hours.

This is an average speed of 59.6 mph.

Note.

The average speed is low considering the trains are capable of cruising at 125 mph and 140 mph with digital signalling.
High Speed Two services between Euston and Glasgow will use the classic network, to the North of Lichfield.

I can build a table of average speeds and times for Glasgow and Lichfield.

100 mph – 179 minutes – 121 minutes saving
110 mph – 163 minutes – 157 minutes saving
120 mph – 149 minutes – 151 minutes saving
125 mph – 143 minutes – 157 minutes saving
130 mph – 138 minutes – 162 minutes saving
140 mph – 128 minutes – 172 minutes saving

This table illustrates why it is important to improve all or as many as possible of classic lines used by High Speed Two to enable 140 mph running, with full digital signalling. Obviously, if 140 mph is not feasible, the speed should be increased to the highest possible.

Routes that could be updated include.

London Euston and Glasgow Central
London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street
London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly (all routes)
London Euston and Blackpool
London Euston and Holyhead
London Euston and Shrewsbury

Not all these routes will be served by High Speed Two, but they could be served by 140 mph trains.

What Times Would Be Possible?

The InterCity 225 was British Rail’s ultimate electric train and these two paragraphs from its Wikipedia entry, describe its performance.

The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991. British regulations have since required in-cab signalling on any train running at speeds above 125 mph (201 km/h) preventing such speeds from being legally attained in regular service. Thus, except on High Speed 1, which is equipped with cab signalling, British signalling does not allow any train, including the InterCity 225, to exceed 125 mph (201 km/h) in regular service, due to the impracticality of correctly observing lineside signals at high speed.

The InterCity 225 has also operated on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). In April 1992, one trainset achieved a new speed record of two hours, eight minutes between Manchester and London Euston, shaving 11 minutes off the 1966 record. During 1993, trials were operated to Liverpool and Manchester in connection with the InterCity 250 project.

The fastest London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly services appear to be two hours and six minutes tomorrow, with stops at Nuneaton and Stoke-on-Trent.
The fastest London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service is four hours seventeen minutes tomorrow.

It does appear that British Rail’s 1980s-vintage InterCity 225 train did very well.

Trains that would be able to run at 140 mph with updated signalling include.

Alstom Class 390
Hitachi Class 800, 801, 802, 803, 805, 807 and 810
British Rail InterCity 225
High Speed Two Classic-Compatible.

All are electric trains.

Could High Speed Two, West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line Services Be Run By High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains?

I don’t see why not!

They would be able to use short stretches of High Speed Line like Lichfield and Crewe.
LNER and CrossCountry could also use the trains.
High Speed Two is providing the framework and it’s there to be used, provided the paths are available.

This graphic shows the preliminary schedule.

It only shows ten trains going through Crewe, so there could be up to eight spare high speed paths between Birmingham and Crewe.

Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The East Coast Main Line?

I published this extract from the Wikipedia entry for the InterCity 225 earlier.

The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991.

The London and Edinburgh run was at an average speed of around 112 mph.

I wonder what time, one of LNER’s Class 801 trains, that are all-electric could do, once the new digital signalling has been fully installed on the route? I suspect it would be close to three hours, but it would depend on how long the trains could run at 140 mph.

It should be noted that the Selby Diversion was designed for 160 mph, when it was built by British Rail in the 1980s.

In Are Short Lengths Of High Speed Line A Good Idea?, I look at the mathematics of putting in short lengths of new railway, which have higher speeds, where this was part of my conclusion.

I very much feel there is scope to create some new high speed sections on the current UK network, with only building very little outside of the current land used by the network.

I would love to know what some of Network Rail’s track experts feel is the fastest time possible between London and Edinburgh that can be achieved, by selective upgrading of the route.

If some of the trains were High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, with a top speed of 205 mph, provided the track allowed it, there could be some interesting mathematics balancing the costs of track upgrades, new trains with what passengers and operators need in terms of journey times.

Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The West Coast Main Line?

Much of what I said about the East Coast Main Line would apply to the West Coast Main Line.

But in addition, the West Coast Main Line will be a superb place to test the new High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.

I believe, that before High Speed Two opens, we’ll see High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, carrying passengers between Euston and Avanti West Coast’s destinations.

Could High Speed Two Be Split Into Two?

Consider.

Under earlier plans, the East Coast Main Line to the North of York, will be used by High Speed Two.
With digital signalling the East Coast Main Line will support continuous running at 140 mph for long sections of the route.
The East Coast Main Line has a recently-rebuilt large Southern terminal at King’s Cross with eleven platforms and good suburban services and excellent connections to the London Underground.
The East Coast Main Line has a very large Northern terminal at Edinburgh Waverley with twenty platforms and good local train connections.
There are large intermediate stations on the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough and York. All these stations have good local train connections.
The East Coast Main Line has important branches to Cambridge, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull King’s Lynn, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Scarborough, Sheffield, Skegness and Sunderland.

We are talking about an asset, that needs improving rather than sidelining.

Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?

Over three years ago, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project? and tried to answer the question in the title.

But now the core network is better defined, perhaps it is time to look at extending the High Speed network again.

The next few sections look at possible extensions.

Serving Chester And North Wales

I looked at this in Could High Speed Two Trains Serve Chester And North Wales?, which I have updated recently.

This was my conclusion.

It looks to me, that when High Speed Two, think about adding extra destinations, Chester and Holyhead could be on the list.

I also suspect that even without electrification and High Speed Two services, but with the new Class 805 trains, the route could be a valuable one for Avanti West Coast.

These are current and promised times for the two legs to Holyhead.

Euston and Crewe – 90 minutes – Fastest Class 390 train
Euston and Crewe – 55 minutes – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train from Wikipedia
Crewe and Holyhead – 131 minutes – Fastest Class 221 train
Crewe and Holyhead – 70 minutes – 90 mph average speed
Crewe and Holyhead – 63 minutes – 100 mph average speed
Crewe and Holyhead – 57 minutes – 110 mph average speed
Crewe and Holyhead – 53 minutes – 120 mph average speed
Crewe and Holyhead – 45 minutes – 140 mph average speed

Note.

I have assumed that Crewe and Holyhead is 105.5 miles.
The operating speed of the North Wales Coast Line is 90 mph.
In the following estimates, I have assumed a change of train at Crewe, takes 6 minutes.

I think there are several options to run fast services to Chester and North Wales.

Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way