Yorkshire To See More LNER Services And Longer Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail UK.
These are the two introductory paragraphs.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is meeting an increase in demand from leisure travellers by adding more services and thousands more seats on trains between Yorkshire and London every Sunday.
Sundays are now one of the most popular days for journeys with 30% more customers travelling across the 956-mile LNER network than in 2019.
From December 2023, three new services and longer trains will be introduced on Sundays between London and Yorkshire.
Improving Trains Between London And Bradford
Current Services Between London And Bradford
LNER services run between Kings Cross and Bradford Forster Square stations.
- Two trains per day (tpd) run between Bradford and London in the early morning.
- Two tpd run between London and Bradford in the evening.
- Trains take two and three-quarter hours.
- Stops are at Shipley, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Retford Grantham and Stevenage.
- Trains seem to be generally a pair of five-car Class 801 trains.
Note.
- Trains reverse at Leeds.
- The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.
- Harrogate gets a one train per two hours (tp2h) service to and from London.
The timetable could do with an improvement.
Grand Central services run between Kings Cross and Bradford Interchange stations.
- Four tpd run between Bradford and London.
- Four tpd run between London and Bradford.
- Trains take three and a quarter hours.
- Stops are at Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
- Trains are five-car Class 180 trains, which have seen better days.
Note.
- The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.
The timetable and the trains could do with an improvement.
LNER’s New Ticketing And Nine-Ten Car Trains
LNER have introduced the selling of Advanced Tickets from machines or the Booking Office as late as five minutes before the train leaves.
- My last three trips from Leeds to London cost me £33.55, £33.75 and £33.55 with my Senior Railcard.
- All were bought less than ten minutes before the train left.
- In two of the journeys, I spread out in two seats
- Trains were either a pair of five-car Class 801 trains or a nine-car InterCity 225.
I took these pictures after my last return from Leeds on Tuesday.
Note.
- Two of the three trains I’ve taken lately have arrived 3-4 minutes early.
- Not a great increase, but I do wonder if LNER are seeing what is possible with the new digital signalling.
- The British Rail era; InterCity 225 seems to hold its own against the new Hitachi train.
I wouldn’t be surprised that LNER intend to both run high-capacity trains between London and Leeds and fill them by competitive pricing.
A Grand Central Train Failure On Tuesday
This was my journey to Bradford on Tuesday,
- I was supposed to take the 1057 Grand Central service to Bradford Interchange, where it was timed to arrive at 1400.
- But the train didn’t run and we were all advised to get on the 1103 to Leeds and change at Doncaster.
- We arrived at Doncaster in Platform 4, a minute late at 1240 and got straight on a Grand Central train in the opposite Platform 6.
- We left Doncaster at 1251, which was sixteen minutes late.
- But we arrived in Bradford Interchange more or less on time at 1401.
Despite leaving six minutes late from Kings Cross and changing trains at Doncaster, we arrived at Bradford on time.
Battery-Electric Trains Between London and Bradford Interchange
I feel that my journey on Tuesday indicated.
- Electric trains between London and Doncaster can easily meet the current timetable.
- The Grand Central train went between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange was sixteen minutes faster than the timetable.
I wouldn’t be surprised that London and Bradford Interchange could be a few minutes under three hours.
Consider.
- It has been said that between Bradford Interchange and Leeds will be electrified.
- Bradford Interchange and Doncaster does not have electrification, but is only 52 miles.
- Electrification of Bradford Interchange station, will allow battery-electric trains to be charged in around 10-12 minutes.
- Most inter-city battery-electric trains have a battery range of at least eighty miles.
- Digital signalling is being installed between London and Doncaster to allow 140 mph running and more trains in the timetable.
I believe that a battery-electric train with sufficient range, charging South of Doncaster and at Bradford Interchange could go between London and Bradford Interchange in 5-10 minutes under three hours.
Bradford Interchange and all the other stations North of Doncaster on the route could probably also have a one tp2h service to and from London and the South.
Splitting And Joining Of Trains
Consider.
- Pairs of the Hitachi Class 801 trains have the ability to split and join en route, during a station stop extended by a few minutes.
- Platforms are long enough to handle splitting and joining at Doncaster, Leeds and York.
- Currently, three services to and from London go past Leeds; Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton. All these services reverse in Leeds station, when they pass through.
- The reversing in Leeds station takes about 8-9 minutes.
- The track between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square is electrified.
- Leeds and Harrogate is not electrified and is 19.3 miles.
- The track between Leeds and Skipton is electrified.
- Bradford Forster Square has a service of two tpd.
- Harrogate has a service of one tp2h.
- Skipton has a service of one tpd.
In the Wikipedia entry for LNER, this is said.
From December 2019, LNER introduced a Harrogate to London service six times a day. LNER expected to introduce two-hourly services to Bradford and a daily service to Huddersfield by May 2020 when more Azuma trains had been introduced, however the latter has not yet been introduced.
Note.
- The Huddersfield service would have to reverse in Leeds station, like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton.
- Leeds and Huddersfield is not electrified and is 17.1 miles.
- Leeds and Huddersfield is being electrified.
Could LNER’s plan be to give Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Skipton stations a two-hourly service , as the Wikipedia extract indicated, they intend to do for Bradford?
- All trains enter and leave Leeds to and from the West.
- Pairs of five-car trains would split and join at Leeds.
- Bradford Forster Square and Skipton services would be served by electric trains.
- Harrogate and Huddersfield services would be served by bi-mode or battery-electric trains.
- Horsforth, Keighley and Shipley could also get a one tp2h service to London.
It looks like services via Leeds could be much improved.
In a two-hour period the Leeds area will have the following trains to and from London Kings Cross.
- Two trains between London and Leeds via Peterborough, Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate
- One train between London and Bradford Forster Square via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford (Bradford-bound only), Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Shipley.
- One train between London and Harrogate via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Horsforth
- One train between London and Huddersfield via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds
- One train between London and Skipton via Peterborough, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley (London-bound only) and Keighley.
Note.
- Stops between London and Leeds would be adjusted to satisfy passenger numbers.
- Currently, there are a total of four trains in a two hour period.
- Six trains will be fitted in by having two London and Leeds trains and two pairs of five-car trains, that joined and split at Leeds.
There is still only four train paths needed in a two hour period between London and Leeds.
Digital Signalling Between London And Doncaster
The East Coast Digital Programme has its own web site, which gives this introduction to the programme.
The East Coast Digital Programme is delivering the next generation of train travel – creating a better performing East Coast Main Line for passengers and everyone else who uses and depends on it.
As part of the programme, traditional lineside signals will be removed and replaced with state-of the art digital signalling to improve the reliability of the train service.
The new technology continuously communicates with each train, providing signalling information directly to a computer screen in the driver’s cab. It boosts reliability, reduces carbon emissions and provides a more punctual service for customers.
In the first stage, digital signalling will be introduced on the Northern City Line, between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. It will then be progressively rolled out on the southern section of the East Coast Main Line (between London King’s Cross and the Stoke Tunnels, near Grantham).
It is expected that the first trains to operate on the East Coast Main Line using digital signalling technology will run in 2025, with all improvements expected to be completed by the end of the decade.
As a result of this programme, the East Coast Main Line will be GB’s first intercity mainline to be upgraded to digital. It lays the foundation for further improvements across the network, creating a more efficient railway fit for the future.
There is also a video.
Benefits of digital signalling will include.
- 140 mph running instead of 125 mph.
- An increase in the number of train paths.
- Trains will be able to be run closer together.
As a Graduate Control Engineer, I also believe that digital signalling will enable better control of trains through bottlenecks.
- Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?
- Is There An ERTMS-based Solution To The Digswell Viaduct?
A computer solution would surely be more affordable than some massive civil engineering.
What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?
I put my thoughts in What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?.
Conclusion
The original High Speed Two specification gave a time of one hour and twenty-one minutes between Euston and Leeds.
I suspect that time will be approached before 2040.
New Livery On An InterCity 225
I took these pictures of an InterCity 225 at Doncaster station.
They scrub up well for a train that entered service in 1989.
Thoughts On Rail Capacity Between London And The North
This is just a rough calculation to see how many trains can be run between London and the North.
I shall do the calculation by station.
Euston
Trains are.
- Avanti – Birmingham – 1 tph (trains per hour)
- Avanti – Blackpool North – 1 tpd (trains per day)
- Avanti – Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd
- Avanti – Edinburgh via Birmingham – 1 tp2h – (trains per two hours)
- Avanti – Glasgow – 1 tph
- Avanti – Glasgow via Birmingham – 5 tpd
- Avanti – Holyhead – 8 tpd
- Avanti – Liverpool – 1 tph
- Avanti – Manchester – 3 tph
- WMT – Birmingham – 2 tph
- WMT – Crewe – 1 tph
This gives totals of 9 tph, 1 tp2h and 16 tpd
King’s Cross
Trains are.
- Grand Central – Bradford – 4 tpd
- Grand Central – Sunderland – 6 tpd
- Hull Trains – Beverley – 2 tpd
- Hull Trains – Hull – 5 tpd
- LNER – Bradford- 2 tpd
- LNER – Edinburgh – 3 tp2h
- LNER – Harrogate – 1 tp2h
- LNER – Hull – 1 tpd
- LNER – Leeds – 3 tp2h
- LNER – Lincoln – 1 tp2h
- LNER – Middlesbrough – 1 tpd
- LNER – Skipton – 1 tpd
- LNER – Sunderland – 1 tpd
- LNER – York- 1 tp2h
- Lumo – Edinburgh – 5 tpd
This gives totals of 9 tp2h and 28 tpd
Marylebone
Trains are.
- Chiltern – Birmingham – 2 tph
This gives totals of 2 tph
St. Pancras
Trains are.
- EMR – Corby – two tph
- EMR – Nottingham – two tph
- EMR – Sheffield- two tph
This gives totals of 6 tph
Grand Totals
Grand totals are 17 tph, 10 tp2h and 44 tpd
I will assume.
- 10 tp2h is equivalent to 5 tph.
- 44 tpd is equivalent to 3 tph if trains start journeys between 0600 and 2100.
This means that currently, there is the equivalent of 25 tph between London and the North.
The Effect Of High Speed Two
The capacity of High Speed Two is 17 tph, so, that appears to be a 68 % increase in paths to the North.
Consider.
- Assume we need 25 tph between London and the North.
- 17 tph will be on High Speed Two.
- 8 tph will be on classic routes like the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line.
- High Speed Two trains are 400 metres long.
- Current trains are about 240 metres long.
I have done a weighted calculation, which shows that passenger capacity between London and the North, will increase by around 45 %.
High Speed Two will surely release paths between London and the North on the classic routes, that could accommodate somewhere around 17 tph.
These could be used for.
- Services not suitable for High Speed Two
- New services
- Freight services
- Open access services
There is a lot of capacity that can be reused.
What Will Happen To Classic Routes Between London And The North?
Consider.
- The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster, is being upgraded with full digital signalling to allow running at up to 140 mph and increased train frequencies.
- Similar upgrades will be surely be applied to the other classic routes between London and the North.
- Important destinations, that will not be served by High Speed Two, like Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Luton, Milton Keynes and Peterborough could be given high speed connections, to Birmingham, London and Manchester.
- The East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line will all be electrified with some sections of quadruple track in a few years.
- Currently, the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line are mainly 125 mph lines and these could be upgraded to 140 mph with digital signalling.
I could envisage the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line being developed into a secondary 140 mph network based on the existing stations lines and services.
Conclusion
High Speed Two is going to have a lot of collateral benefits in Middle England.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Anonymous Widower 