Fourteen New Trains To Drive First Rail Open Access Growth
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from First Group.
These four bullet points are sub-headings.
- The Group has signed an agreement with Angel Trains and Hitachi to lease 14 new five-car class 80X Hitachi electric, battery electric or bi-mode trains (70 cars in total) at a cost of c.£500m including maintenance, over a ten year lease period
- The trains will be manufactured by Hitachi in County Durham, securing the skills base and jobs in the local area
- The new trains will enable FirstGroup to significantly expand its open access portfolio and will be used on the newly announced London-Carmarthen route and to increase the number of cars on the existing Lumo and Hull Trains services
- The agreement also contains an option for FirstGroup to lease up to an additional 13 trains on the same terms if the Group’s open access applications are granted by the Office of Rail and Road (‘ORR’)
These first three paragraphs add a bit more detail.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is visiting Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, today to celebrate a significant agreement for the Hitachi factory which has secured an order to manufacture 70 new rail cars for FirstGroup’s growing open access business, creating certainty for the manufacturing skills base, and the factory’s future.
The Lease Agreement will deliver 14 new trains, which will not only give the Group a homogenous fleet across its open access operations, ensuring flexibility and reliability for customers, but also facilitates the Group’s strategic objective of materially increasing its open access capacity. Delivery of the new trains is expected to commence in late 2027. The lease will be financed by Angel Trains, adding to their portfolio of Hitachi assets. The trains will be maintained by Hitachi at their facilities around the country.
The trains will be used on the Group’s open access rail services, including the Carmarthen-London route announced on 5 December, and the existing Hull Trains and Lumo services on the East Coast Mainline.
Note.
- Does the presence of Keir Starmer indicate any approval for open access?
- Trains could be electric, battery electric or bi-mode.
- Bi-mode trains should only be purchased these days, if they are convertible to battery-electric trains. Hitachi’s can.
- Delivery is expected to commence in late 2027.
- The first fourteen trains will be deployed on the London to Carmarthen, Edinburgh and Hull routes.
This table shows the trains needed initially for each route.
- Carmarthen – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – 75.3 miles unelectrified
- Edinburgh – Class 803 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – electrified
- Hull – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd – 5 trains – 44.3 miles unelectrified
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- I’m assuming that as unelectrified distances to Carmarthen and Hull are not that far apart, the number of trains needed is the same.
- Class 802 trains are bi-mode.
- Class 803 trains are electric.
After the fourteen new trains are delivered, there will be a combined fleet of 29 trains.
Consider.
- Hull Trains have started running some services as pairs of trains. I wrote about this in Ten-Car Hull Trains.
- Lumo has been a success and perhaps needs more capacity.
The Wikipedia entry for Grand Union says this.
Grand Union proposed to operate with ex-LNER Class 91s and Rail Operations Group Class 93s hauling nine-car Mark 4s and a Driving Van Trailer.
So perhaps the Carmarthen service needs ten-car trains.
That would mean that the number of routes needed for the three routes would be as follows.
- Carmarthen – Class 802 trains – 5 tpd -10 trains
- Edinburgh – Class 803 trains – 5 tpd -10 trains
- Hull – Class 802 trains – 7 tpd – 10 trains
It would appear that we’re a train short with 29 in the combined fleet against a need of 30 trains.
But then it would also appear that Hull Trains can provide the required five/ten car service with only four trains.
I would assume that the extra train, goes to make up the numbers for Lumo’s Carmarthen service.
Where Will Lumo Strike Next?
Yesterday, First Group reported that they had added more possible services to their network of open-access services.
I gave my view in FirstGroup Acquires London – South Wales Open Access Business And Plans Lumo To Devon.
Their list of possible services and destinations include.
- Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Beverley via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough, Hull Paragon and Cottingham
- Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Hull Paragon via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough
- Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Sheffield via Worksop and Woodhouse
- Lumo – London Euston and Rochdale via Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles and Manchester Victoria
- Lumo – London King’s Cross and Edinburgh/Glasgow via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth
- Lumo – London Paddington and Carmarthen via Bristol Parkway, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff Central, Gowerton and Llanell
- Lumo – London Paddington and Paignton via Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Torquay
I believe that all services could be run by identical versions of Hitachi’s high speed Intercity Battery Electric Train, which are described in this page on the Hitachi web site.
The London Paddington and Paignton service would require the longest running without electrification at 210 km. and I don’t believe First Group would have put in a bid, unless they were certain zero-carbon trains with sufficient performance would be available.
Other possible open access services could be.
Hull And Blackpool Airport
Note.
- This could be the first half of a Green Route between the North of England and the island of Ireland, if zero-carbon aircraft can fly from Blackpool Airport.
- Trains would call at Selby, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Manchester Victoria, Blackburn and Preston.
- Blackpool Airport has good access from Squires Gate station and tram stop, which could be improved.
- Blackpool Airport could be well supplied with green electricity and hydrogen from wind power.
These are distances to possible airports.
- Belfast City – 111 nm.
- Belfast International – 114 nm.
- Cardiff – 143 nm.
- Cork – 229 nm.
- Donegal – 200 nm.
- Derry/Londonderry – 163 nm.
- Dublin – 116 nm.
- Inverness – 228 nm
- Ireland West Knock – 204 nm.
- Kerry – 253 nm.
- Ronaldsway, IOM – 59 nm.
- Shannon – 220 nm.
Note.
- The Wikipedia entry for the all-electric Eviation Alice, gives the range with reserves as 250 nm.
- The Belfast and Dublin airports could be within range of a round trip from Blackpool without refuelling.
- ,Cork, Kerry and Shannon airports may need to go by another airport, where a small battery charge is performed.
- The Isle of Man is surprisingly close.
Blackpool has reasonably good coverage for the island of Ireland.
London Euston And Holyhead
This could be the first half of a Green Route to Dublin, if the trains met a high speed hydrogen-powered catamaran to speed passengers across to Dun Laoghaire.
London King’s Cross And Aberdeen Or Inverness
Why not? But these routes would probably be best left to LNER.
London King’s Cross And Grimsby Or Cleethorpes
In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER had run a test train to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
The Government might prefer that an open access operator took the risk and got all the blame if the route wasn’t worth running.
Humberside is very much involved in the energy industry, with several gas-fried power-stations at Keadby.
It might be more efficient in terms of trains and infrastructure, if this service was an extension of the Lincoln service.
London King’s Cross And Scarborough Via Beverley
This would probably be one for Hull Trains, but it would also serve Bridlington and Butlin’s at Filey.
The BBC was running a story today about how holiday camps are making a comeback. Surely, one on a direct train from London wouldn’t be a bad thing. for operators, train companies or holidaymakers.
London King’s Cross And Middlesbrough, Redcar Or Saltburn
As with the Grimsby and Cleethorpes service, the government might think, that this might be a better service for an open access operator.
Teesside is heavily involved in the offshore wind industry and may add involvement in the nuclear industry.
London Paddington And Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven Or Pembroke Dock
Note.
- This could be the first half of a Green Route to Southern Ireland, if the trains met a high speed hydrogen-powered catamaran to speed passengers across to Rosslare or an electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft from Haverfordwest Airport.
- These three ports and one airport will feature heavily in the development of offshore wind power in the Celtic Sea.
- RWE are already planning a hydrogen electrolyser in Pembrokeshire, as I wrote about in RWE Underlines Commitment To Floating Offshore Wind In The Celtic Sea Through New ‘Vision’ Document.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for Fishguard Harbour station, it was built as a station to handle ship passengers and is now owned by Stena Line, who run the ferries to Rosslare in Ireland.
- I can see a tie-up between FirstGroup and Stena Line to efficiently transfer passengers between Lumo’s planned service to Carmarthen and Stena Line’s ships to Ireland.
All four secondary destinations would be a short extension from Carmarthen.
Summing Up
Note how energy, a Green Route to Ireland and other themes keep appearing.
I do wonder if running a budget train service to an area, is an easy way of levelling up, by attracting people, commuters and industry.
Have the budget airlines improved the areas they serve?
They’ve certainly created employment in the transport, construction and hospitality industries.
Zero-Carbon Ferries And Short-Haul Aircraft
These will be essential for Anglo-Irish routes and many other routes around the world.
I will deal with the ferries first, as to create a zero-carbon ferry, only needs an appropriate power unit to be installed in a ship design that works.
But with aircraft, you have to lift the craft off the ground, which needs a lot of energy.
This article on Transport and Environment is entitled World’s First ‘Carbon Neutral’ ship Will Rely On Dead-End Fuel, with this sentence as a sub-heading.
The Danish shipping giant Maersk announced it will operate the world’s first carbon-neutral cargo vessel by 2023. The company had promised a carbon-neutral container ship by 2030 but now says it will introduce the ship seven years ahead of schedule following pressure from its customers. While welcoming Maersk’s ambition, T&E says the company is betting on the wrong horse by using methanol which may not be sustainable and available in sufficient amounts.
Note.
- I’d not heard of this ship.
- Pressure from customers brought the date forward by seven years.
- As always, it appears that the availability of enough green hydrogen and methanol is blamed.
Perhaps, Governments of the world should put more teeth in green legislation to ensure that companies and governments do what they say they are gong to do?
But worthwhile developments in the field of shipping are underway.
For instance, I estimate that this Artemis Technologies hydrofoil ferry could take passengers across the 54 nautical miles between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead in around 90 minutes.
This ferry is being designed and built in Northern Ireland and I can’t believe, it is the only development of its type.
A Fast Green Route To Ireland
I have talked about this before in High-Speed Low-Carbon Transport Between Great Britain And Ireland and I am certain that it will happen.
- Air and sea routes between the UK and the island of Ireland carry a lot of traffic.
- Some travellers don’t like flying. Especially in Boeings, which are Ryanair’s standard issue.
- It is the sort of trip, that will appeal to a lot of travellers and most probably a lot with Irish connections.
- An electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft or a fast surface craft will be able to cross the Irish Sea in a quick time.
- High speed trains and then High Speed Two will consistently reduce the travel times on the UK side of the water.
Cross-water travel routes, be they by aircraft, ferries, bridges or tunnels are generally popular and successful.
Conclusion
Given the opportunity at Fishguard, I can see that FirstGroup next move would be to extend the Carmarthen service to Fishguard Harbour.
FirstGroup Acquires London – South Wales Open Access Business And Plans Lumo To Devon
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
‘Growing our open access rail portfolio is a key priority’, FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland said on December 5 when the company announced that it had acquired Grand Union Trains GWML Holdings Ltd. GUT holds track access rights to launch an open access passenger service between London and Carmarthen. FirstGroup has also applied for paths to launch a London to Paignton service.
FirstGroup seem to have acted quickly to replace the business that they have lost to the Government.
This is said about the London Paddington and Carmarthen route.
The London Paddington to Carmarthen service is now expected to launch in December 2027, with GUT having secured track access rights to the end of 2037.
There will be five services each way per day, calling at stations including Bristol Parkway, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff Central, Gowerton and Llanelli. FirstGroup said it would provide low fares, ‘more customer choice and much-needed additional capacity’.
It is still considering rolling stock options, and ’updates will be provided in due course’. The trains would have one class, free wi-fi and onboard catering.
After the successful trial of battery-powered high speed trains that I wrote about in ‘UK-First’ Intercity Battery Trial Exceeds Expectations, I would suspect that the train would run between London Paddington and Carmarthen like this.
- Run between London Paddington and Cardiff Central using the 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Whilst running between Paddington and Cardiff Central, the train’s batteries will be fully charged using the overhead electrification.
- Run between Cardiff Central and Carmarthen using the onboard battery power.
- Charge the train as required at Carmarthen.
Note.
- London Paddington and Cardiff Central is 145.2 miles or 233.7 km.
- Cardiff Central and Carmarthen via Gowerton is 75.3 miles or 121.2 km.
- In case of disruption, trains could wait at Cardiff Central, until the batteries had enough charge.
A battery capability of 121.2 km will be needed.
This is said about the London Paddington and Paignton route.
An application has been submitted to the Office of Rail & Road for the service to incorporate five return trips per day between London Paddington and Paignton via stations including Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Torquay from May 2028, as well as a sixth path between Highbridge & Burnham and London.
I suspect that the Paignton route will use a similar profile to the Carmarthen route.
- Run between London Paddington and Chippenham using the 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Whilst running between Paddington and Chippenham, the train’s batteries will be fully charged using the overhead electrification.
- Run between Chippenham and Paignton using the onboard battery power.
- Charge the train as required at Paignton .
Note.
- London Paddington and Chippenham is 93.5 miles or 233.7 km.
- Chippenham and Paignton is 128.6 miles or 207 km.
- In case of disruption, trains could wait at Chippenham , until the batteries had enough charge.
A battery capability of 207 km will be needed.
This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains, where this is a paragraph.
Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.
I am a Graduate Control and Electrical Engineer and I believe that, if you have a train with two batteries, then by sequencing and managing the power, a range of 140 km. should be possible. As a typical Class 802 train, as used by Hull Trains has three diesel engines, would the train have a range of 210 km., if all three were swapped for batteries?
One fact, that has been disclosed by Hitachi, is that diesel engines and battery packs are identical in weight and power, so train performance and handling is unaffected, by the number of batteries.
If we look at the routes of First Group present and future subsidiaries and how much is on unelectrified track, we can create the following table.
- Beverley – Hull Trains – 71.3 km.
- Carmarthen – Lumo – 121.2 km.
- Hull – Hull Trains – 58,1 km.
- Paignton – Lumo – 207 km.
- Rochdale – Lumo – 16.7 km.
- Sheffield – Hull Trains – 37.5 km.
- Worksop – Hull Trains – 12.2 km.
Note,
- One two or three batteries could be fitted.
- Some destinations could be served without any charging at the destination.
- Hitachi have proposed short lengths of 25 KVAC overhead line to charge trains.
- For some destinations, it may be a more affordable to add another battery than add a charger.
It’s all very modular.
Matchday Travel Made Easy With Lumo
The title of this post, is the same as that as this new item from Gateshead FC.
These three paragraphs outline the partnership between Lumo and Gateshead FC.
Lumo, our official rail partner, continues to offer Gateshead fans the perfect means for travelling to London and back on away days.
Operating exclusively electric trains, Lumo’s fleet run at times convenient for football matches, allowing fans to travel to London from Newcastle train station in just under 3 hours and vice versa. Lumo is committed to delivering sustainable travel without compromising on comfort, convenience, or cost.
Discover the tips and offers from Lumo below to make planning your next trip to t Capital easier, more affordable, and completely hassle-free.
Two tips and offers are listed.
- Plan Ahead – Tickets Available Until Spring 2025.
- Stay Flexible With LumoFlex
I have a few thoughts and observations.
Lumo Is Faster Than AI
According to the September 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, Lumo holds the record of two hours and 33 minutes from King’s Cross to Newcastle.
- Google’s AI-enhanced search engine gives three minutes longer.
- Looks like a stupid computer to me.
If Lumo could keep their record pace going to Edinburgh, they’d be in the Scottish Capital in three hours 43 minutes after leaving King’s Cross.
There Are Eleven Teams In The Same Division Of The National League As Gateshead, That Can Be Reached Easily From London
The teams are.
- Aldershot Town – Train from Waterloo
- Barnet – Underground and Bus
- Braintree – Train from Liverpool Street
- Dagenham & Redbridge – Underground and Bus
- Eastleigh – Train from Waterloo
- Ebbsfleet United – Thameslink
- Maidenhead – Elizabeth Line
- Southend United – Train from Liverpool Street
- Sutton United – Thameslink
- Wealdstone – Underground
- Woking – Train from Waterloo
Note.
- Maidenhead and Sutton United are probably the easiest.
- Woking could be the most difficult.
- Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line are useful.
If Lumo bring a train-full of passengers to London, that is 400 passengers per train at £18 each way, if all supporters get the best price.
So each train could produce £14,400, if it was full. If Lumo can run ten-car instead of five-car trains, that doubles the revenue to £28,800.
I think Lumo see this as a nice little earner and they are going for it.
Conclusion
Train companies could support fans a lot better than they do.
Rochdale Station – 12th November, 2024
Yesterday, I went to Rochdale station, to ascertain, the suitability of running a Lumo service between Euston and Rochdale stations.
Note.
- The building in the style of a mosque, is actually a Catholic church.
- The island tram platform is at right angles to the railway lines through the station.
- The tram takes you a short distance to the North to the town centre.
This map shows the station and the tram stop.
Note.
- The station has four platforms and two tram platforms.
- The two outer train platforms are quite long.
- The West-facing bay platform could probably take a five-car Lumo train.
- The tram platform runs North from the station.
- There is a co-working space by the tram-stop.
- There is a cafe in the station.
- There is a manned ticket office.
- Car parking is free.
- There are sixteen bicycle spaces.
With some tidying up, this could be a neat interchange.
These are my thoughts.
Will Rochdale Station Accommodate One Of Lumo’s Five-Car Trains?
The Wikipedia entry for Rochdale station, says this about the Bay Platform 4, that was used for the Cltheroe train.
In 2015, construction on a fourth railway platform began. The 135m-long bay platform was completed in 2016 and is used to relieve congestion at Manchester Victoria, where terminating trains would otherwise occupy the through platforms; numerous services now continue on to Rochdale as opposed to terminating at Victoria. It is located at the south end of the main island platform, with the southbound through line having been re-aligned slightly further east to accommodate the new terminating line and is used by the half-hourly stopping service from Blackburn/Clitheroe via Bolton and Victoria.
A 135 metre platform should be able to accommodate a five-car train with 27 metre carriages, so it looks like a 5-carriage Lumo train with 26-metre cars would fit in the bay platform 4.
Will Rochdale Station Accommodate A Pair Of Lumo’s Five-Car Trains?
Consider.
- Lumo’s Hitachi trains, like all their siblings can run in pairs. As I reported in Ten-Car Hull Trains, Hull Trains do it regularly.
- Rochdale station may or may not be able to accommodate a pair of five-car trains, but say if one of Manchester’s Premier League clubs was playing in the FA Cup Final, I’m sure they would find a way to run a ten-car train to London.
- It looks like Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles and Manchester Victoria could all take 10-car trains.
- Euston probably can as well, as 9-car and 11-car Class 390 trains are 217.5 and 265.3 metres respectively long respectively and a 10-car Lumo train would only be 260 metres.
Perhaps, one train can start at Rochdale and the other at Manchester Victoria, before they join at Victoria and go to London as a pair.
Could The Lumo Service Be Extended Across The Pennines?
Distances Along the Calder Valley Line to Leeds are as follows.
- Rochdale 10.4 miles –
- Hebden Bridge – 23.6 miles
- Halifax – 32.7 miles
- Low Moor – 37.5 miles
- Bradford Interchange – 40.4 miles
- Leeds – 49.8 miles
Note.
- The 70 km. rang of a Lumo train will be 43.5 miles.
- The train can be charged at both end stations and will be fully charged, when it leaves Manchester Victoria and Leeds.
- There are short lengths of electrification at Manchester Victoria and Leeds.
- There may be extra electrification between Bradford Interchange and Leeds, in the next few years.
I am fairly certain, that a battery-electric Lumo Class 803 train will be able to provide a London Euston and Leeds service.
How Long Will Services Take?
Timings on the extended route from London Euston to Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Bradford and Leeds would take.
- London-Euston – Warrington Bank Quay – One hour and forty-four minutes – Current Avanti timings.
- Warrington Bank Quay – Newton-le-Willows -Eleven minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Newton-le-Willows – Eccles -Ten minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Eccles – Manchester Victoria – Ten minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Manchester Victoria – Rochdale – Fourteen minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Rochdale – Hebden Bridge – Sixteen minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Hebden Bridge – Halifax – Fifteen minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Halifax – Low Moor – Six minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Low Moor – Bradford Interchange -Ten minutes – Current Northern timings.
- Bradford Interchange – Leeds – Nineteen minutes – Current Northern timings.
Totals.
- London and Manchester Victoria – Two hours and fifteen minutes.
- London and Rochdale – Two hours and twenty-nine minutes.
- London and Bradford – Three hours and six minutes.
- London and Leeds – Three hours and twenty-five minutes.
I suspect times could be speeded up a bit.
Proposed Developments Of Manchester Metrolink
This sub-title has its own Wikipedia entry.
Developments that would be beneficial to a Lumo service might include.
A station at Cop Road on the Oldham and Rochdale Line, that would support new housing.
Tram-trains between Oldham and Heywood On the Calder Valley Line.
These two developments will directly bring more passengers to the Lumo service, but because the Lumo service has links with the Metrolink at Eccles, Manchester Victoria and Rochdale any Metrolink improvements should benefit the Lumo service.
‘UK-First’ Intercity Battery Trial Exceeds Expectations
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Hitachi.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Intercity battery train completes testing in the north of England, demonstrating superior performance and cost-effectiveness compared to diesel engines.
- Trial confirms single battery technology can reduce fuels costs between 35%-50% and enter and leave stations in zero-emission mode.
- Ahead of Railway 200 celebration, this new UK rail innovation is ready to reduce cost and emissions on the railways.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Today, Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail and TransPennine Express are celebrating the successful completion of the UK’s first intercity battery trial in the North of England.
The powerful 700kw battery technology met, and in some cases even surpassed, the key objectives of the trial, including:
- Fuel costs savings between 35%-50%, surpassing previous predictions of up to 30%.
- Just one battery has managed to power the train to speeds greater than 75mph, clearly demonstrating this technology can enter, alight and exit stations solely in zero-emission battery-mode to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
- Able to achieve all journey times and performance requirements so can meet operators timetable requirements.
- The battery matches the weight of a diesel engine and is installed in the same undercarriage space, ensuring no risk of track degradation and no impact on the passenger environment.
Note.
- I would expect, that most of the fuel cost savings are due to the use of regenerative braking to the battery.
- 75 mph might seem slow, but Hull Trains average slower speeds than this on their diesel sections.
- Running in a non-polluting mode in stations and sensitive areas, is not going to be disliked by anyone.
- The most powerful diesel engines in Class 800 and Class 802 trains are rated at 700 kW. So with the same weight and power, it is not surprising that the performance is the same.
It looks to me, that Hitachi have designed an efficient battery-electric electric train, that can extend services from electrified main lines onto branch lines without electrification.
The One Battery Test Train And Hull Trains
Hull Trains currently run one service to Hull and Beverley and have applied for another service to serve Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield, where the trains would leave the East Coast Main Line at Retford.
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
An Electric Service Between London and Hull/Beverley
Distances for the Hull and Beverley service are.
- ECML and Hull – 58.1 km. – 3 stops
- Hull and Beverley – 13.2 km or 26.4 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
- Trains will be fully-charged, when they leave the ECML.
- Trains could be fully-charged, when they leave Hull station, if the platform they use has a charging system.
- All Hull Trains call in Platform 7 at Hull station.
- The Hitachi press release said “During a trial run, the battery’s impressive power enabled the train to operate solely in battery mode for 70km.” A speed of 75 mph is indicated.
- I would assume the Hitachi train used regenerative braking to help recharge the batteries, at the intermediate stops.
- Trains average around 57 mph between the ECML and Hull and 38 mph between Hull and Beverley.
- Much of the track between the ECML and Hull has a speed limit of 75 mph.
- Much of the track between Beverley and Hull has a speed limit of 70 mph or less.
Because of these figures and what Hitachi have said of the train’s performance on batteries, I am convinced that Hull Trains will use an electrified Platform 7 at Hull station to charge the trains.
These pictures show a Hull Trains’s Class 802 train in Platform 7 at Hull station.
Note.
- The blue Hull Train is in Platform 7 in the pictures.
- Hull station has a classic Victorian cast-iron roof.
- Many other similar platforms have been electrified in the UK.
I believe that this platform can be electrified relatively easily with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
An Electric Service Between London and Worksop/Sheffield
Distances for the Worksop and Sheffield service are.
- ECML and Worksop – 12.2 km. – 1 stop
- Worksop and Sheffield- 25.3 km or 50.6 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
1. A train from London will leave Retford with a full battery.
2. Retford and Sheffield is only 37.5 km. So the round trip is only 75 km.
3. A full battery will power the train at 75 mph for 70 km – According to Hitachi.
4. Much of the track between Retford and Sheffield is only 60 mph. So going slower will give an energy saving.
5. Slowing at Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield will give the batteries a small charge.
6. There are no bridges in the Workshop station area, so a mile or so of electrification could be easy.
7. It’s an easy level route.
8. I’ve read somewhere that Hitachi have a full route simulator.
I calculate, that a two minute charge at Worksop would probably be all the train would need to travel the 75 km. on batteries.
We don’t know if Hitachi have licenced some of Vivarail’s FastCharge technology from FirstGroup. This could enable them to extract the maximum value from each stop at Worksop.
The One Battery Test Train And Lumo
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on Lumo’s new service to Rochdale.
As London Euston and Manchester Victoria is fully electrified, the only unelectrified section is the 16.7 km. between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale. This would mean, that to complete the trip, Lumo’s train would need the ability to do 33.4 km on battery power.
As Hitachi’s test train can do 70 km on a full charge, Lumo could use trains with the standard two diesel engine and one battery pack configuration. The battery would be charged on the electrified sections of the route, between London Euston and Manchester Victoria stations.
It looks to me, to be a superb demonstration of the capabilities of a battery-electric InterCity train with two diesel engines and one battery pack.
The One Battery Test Train And LNER
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on several LNER services from King’s Cross.
- Bradford Forster Square – 21.9 km. from Leeds
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from Newark
- Grimsby Town – 97.9 km. from Newark
- Harrogate – 29.4 km from Leeds
- Lincoln – 26.9 km. from Newark
- Middlesbrough – 35.2 km. from ECML
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from ECML
- Scarborough – 67.8 km. from York
Note.
- Some services like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Lincoln could be run by only charging on the East Coast Main Line.
- Some services like those to Middlesbrough and Scarborough could be run by charging at the destination.
- Other services would need more batteries and/or charging at the destination.
I haven’t put in the Scottish services as running them may be more complicated.
Running Longer Distances On Battery Power
This paragraph is from the original Hitachi press release.
This success demonstrates that Hitachi Rail is ready to deliver the next stage of a full intercity battery-electric train. Based on real-world data, such a train would have a range between 100-150km. These ranges can cover significant sections of non-electrified routes, eliminating the need for wires in tunnels or stations, and potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds on electrification projects.
Note.
- I would assume that as many diesel engines as possible would be replaced with battery packs.
- On a typical three-battery Class 800 train, 802 train or Class 805 train, this could be up to three batteries.
- But on a four-battery Class 810 train, this could be up to four batteries.
A strategy would need to be developed for all routes and trains would be configured and allocated to the routes accordingly.
50% Increase For Northumberland Passengers Heading To London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
In the last two years, the number of customers travelling by Lumo‘s train services between Morpeth and London has increased by 50%.
According to Lumo, the increased demand for its services is due to leisure and business customers looking to travel more sustainably and the area’s tourism opportunities.
I don’t feel that the fifty percent increase is unexpected, as LNER now run seven trains per day (tpd) in both directions between Morpeth and London and Lumo now run five.
- Not all passengers travel between North of Morpeth and London.
- If you live in the Borderlands, you may find Morpeth a better alternative than driving to Edinburgh or Newcastle.
- Morpeth station has only 72 car parking spaces.
- Local buses and taxis may play a part.
- Car hire is available at Newcastle and Morpeth.
- Low fares will certainly play a part.
It will start to get interesting, when services start to run between Newcastle and Morpeth via the Northumberland Line.
3rd October 2024 – A Day In Liverpool
A Three-Leg Journey North
This is the second time, I’ve bought one of there journeys North and they are a pain, unless you want to guarantee seats.
I suppose, I should buy my tickets earlier, but if I can buy my rickets on the day on other train companies, I would prefer to do it on Avanti West Coast.
Avanti West Coast’s problem is that they haven’t got their new Class 807 trains into service yet, which will double the services to Liverpool.
T arrived at Warrington Bank Quay on time and the transfer to Newton-le-Willows went smoothly, but then, I waited thirty minutes for my train to Liverpool Lime Street.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route I took.
Note.
- Liverpool Lime Street station is at the Western side of the map.
- Newton-le-Willows station is marked by the blue arrow in the top right corner of the map.
- Warrington Bank Quay station is in the bottom right corner of the map.
It does seem a round about route, But I got there. Although, I was late.
Hopefully, in a couple of years, you’ll be able to take a local train between Liverpool Lime Street and Newton-le-Willows stations to link up with FirstGroup’s low-cost Lumo Open Access service between Euston and Rochdale.
A Single Journey Home
I was booked home on the 18:43 train from Lime Street, but as you can often do, I asked and was allowed to board the 17:43.
A Crowded And Crazy Euston
I arrived back at Euston at 20:00, but it was crowded, as the station is very much a building site for High Speed Two.
I felt I would treat myself to a taxi, but I couldn’t find any.
So I took a 205 bus along Euston Road to King’s Cross, where I jumped on the the Circle Line for Moorgate.
From there I took my usual 141 bus home.
A friendly station guy at Moorgate, indicated, there might not be any taxis at Euston.
I’d also found earlier, that there were no escalators to the Underground.
Perhaps more than ever, care should be taken at Euston, when getting to and from the station.
It Looks To Me That High Speed Two Has Got Their Planning Wrong At Euston
The big problem at Euston is getting to and from the National Rail station from East or West,
Compare Euston in this respect with Liverpool Street, King’s Cross, St. Pancras or Paddington.
In The New Step-Free Entrance At Euston Square Station, I show the plans for step-free access to the sub-surface lines.
This new entrance to Euston station, should be built first.
All the dithering about High Speed Two seems to have delayed it!
Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
- Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
- Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.
These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.
Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.
Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.
The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.
These are my observations and thoughts.
Grand Central’s Current Services
Grand Central currently runs two separate services.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- Weekend services are reduced.
- Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.
Grand Central have applied to run more services.
Distances Without Electrification On Current Services
Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.
- King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
- King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles
Note.
- Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
- Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
- Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.
The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.
These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.
And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.
Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.
Grand Central’s New Trains
Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.
- Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
- Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
- Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.
Note.
- A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
- Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
- Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
- LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?
I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.
Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.
Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services
Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.
Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.
They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.
Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?
- Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
- An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
- London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
- The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
- They might save a few minutes.
But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.
This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.
- Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
- One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
- Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
- As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.
I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.
Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services
If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.
They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.
Conclusion
It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.
London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion
This press release on the First Group web site is entitled FirstGroup Applies To Run Rochdale To London Rail Service With New British-Built Trains.
These are the first two paragraphs.
FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Rochdale and London to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), restoring this direct link for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its successful Lumo business, building on Lumo’s existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between London and Edinburgh and helped support a growth in passenger numbers for all operators on the East Coast Mainline. All of the trains on this new route will be electric and battery powered, and the service will be operated by brand new trains built in the UK.
Note.
- This service will be run under the Lumo brand.
- Battery-electric trains will be used.
- Stops will include Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay.
- Only 15 km. of the route, between Miles Platting and Rochdale is not electrified.
Allowing for out and back trips between Platting and Rochdale, a sensible reserve and I suspect a battery-electric train with a range of 40-50 kilometres, would allow the train to be able to do a round trip to Rochdale from London Euston.
Hitachi have now published this page on their web site, which is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
These are the first two paragraphs.
A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.
Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.
It would appear that Hitachi’s standard Intercity Battery Train will have a range of 70 km.
- A 70 km. range would be more than enough to handle Lumo’s Euston and Rochdale service.
- Lumo’s Class 803 trains don’t have a diesel generator to replace.
- One car does have a smaller battery for emergency hotel power, should the electrification fail.
As an Electrical Engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the traction batteries of Hitachi’s standard Intercity Battery Train and the emergency batteries of Lumo’s Class 803 trains are of a similar design. The batteries could even be interchangeable, which would enable both Lumo’s routes to Scotland and Rochdale to use identical Class 803 trains.
Lumo’s Class 803 trains would have this specification.
- All-electric.
- Emergency battery to provide back-up hotel power.
- A range on battery of 70 km or 43 miles away from electrification.
The off-electrification range could be very useful in getting round incidents or overhead wiring problems.
An extended range of 70 km. would allow the following destinations to have all-electric services from London.
- Beverley #
- Bristol Temple Meads #
- Cheltenham #
- Chester
- Harrogate
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Lincoln
- Middlesbrough
- Swansea #
Destinations marked with a hash (#), would need charging at the final destination.
A more detailed analysis will probably show other possible routes.
It looks to me, that Hitachi have got the specification of their Intercity Battery Train about right.
Bridging The Joint Line Diversion
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) or Joint Line.
Note.
- Doncaster is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Peterborough is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The red line connecting them is the East Coast Main Line.
- Lincoln station is marked by the blue arrow.
Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) is described like this by its Wikipedia entry.
The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway, colloquially referred to as “the Joint Line” was a railway line connecting Doncaster and Lincoln with March and Huntingdon in the eastern counties of England. It was owned jointly by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and the Great Eastern Railway (GER).
Over the last decades of the Twentieth Century, the Joint Line declined and British Rail did their worst to simplify the route.
But in the 2010s, Network Rail developed the route into a by-pass for the East Coast Main Line between Werrington and Black Carr junctions via Lincoln.
- Trains are routed via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Saxilby and Gainsborough.
- There is no electrification.
- The route can handle two freight trains per hour.
- The route can handle 9 ft. 6 in containers.
- There is a passenger service between Doncaster and Peterborough via Lincoln.
- Self-powered trains like InterCity125s, Class 800 trains and Class 802 trains can use their diesel power to use the diversion.
- All-electric trains, like LNER’s Class 801 trains and Lumo’s Class 803 trains have no self-power, so can’t use the diversion.
- Black Carr junction and Lincoln is 35 miles.
- Werrington junction and Lincoln is 51.7 miles.
The January 2024 Edition of Modern Railways says that the diversion is approximately 90 miles or 145 kilometers.
It would appear that there are two simple solutions.
- Electrify a section through Lincoln, so that Lincoln is within 70 kilometres of the electrification at both Werrington and Black Carr junctions.
- Fit bigger batteries to the trains.
A combination of both solutions might be possible.
The Anonymous Widower 