The Anonymous Widower

Manchester To London Train To Run Without Passengers

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

This is the sub-heading.

A train service taking commuters from Manchester to London is to run empty for around five months following a decision by the rail regulator.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

A decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), means the 07:00 GMT service operated by Avanti West Coast from Manchester Piccadilly to London will still run but will only be used to carry staff from mid-December.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said they were “disappointed” with the decision, which would “clearly impact those customers who already use these services”.

An ORR spokesperson said the decision was made on “robust evidence” from Network Rail to guard against possible service disruption on the West Coast Main Line.

It is a long article on the BBC and I suspect, it is one of those, that should be fully-read before commenting.

I looked up last Friday’s service and found this.

  • It was an eleven-coach Class 390 train.
  • The train goes via Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, but only stops to pick up passengers at Stockport.
  • It left on time at 07:00.
  • It arrived in London at 09:20, which was twenty-one minutes late.

I think, I’ll see this train arrive on Monday.

Could Avanti West Coast Be Planning A Fast Service From Both Liverpool and Manchester?

Consider.

  • Manchester Piccadilly has a 07:00 train to Euston, that takes two hours via Stoke-on-Trent.
  • The train also stops at Stockport.
  • The Manchester Piccadilly train is an eleven-car Class 390 train, that is 265.3 metres long.
  • Liverpool Lime Street has a 06:43 train to Euston, that takes two hours and 11 minutes via Crewe, that stops at Runcorn.
  • The Liverpool Lime Street train is a seven-car Class 807 train, that is 182 metres long.

Note.

  1. I wonder, if at some time in the future, these two services could both be run by seven-car Class 807 trains, that joined at Crewe.
  2. This might not have been possible with Class 390 trains, as the pair of trains would have been very long.
  3. Class 390 trains may not be able to split and join.
  4. I don’t think any extra paths would be needed.

This would give Crewe, Liverpool, Manchester, Runcorn and Stockport, a fast early train to Euston.

November 29, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I’ve Just Glimpsed The Future Of Train Travel Across The North Of England And I Like It

Yesterday, I had an appointment at Liverpool Lime Street station at four o’clock, so as I hadn’t seen the works for the TransPennine Upgrade for some time, I decided to go the long way round with a change of train from LNER to TransPennine Express at Leeds.

These sections document my day.

London King’s Cross To Leeds In An InterCity 225

I took these pictures on the journey.

Note.

  1. The 31 InterCity 225 trains were built around 1990.
  2. They have a capacity of 535 seats, whereas the newer Hitachi Class 801 trains have a capacity of 611 seats. Both trains are nine cars with both First and Standard seats.
  3. There is more of a step-up and step-down when entering or leaving the trains, compared to the best of today’s trains.
  4. They are now being phased out in favour of ten new CAF tri-mode Class 897 trains, which should be entering service in 2027.
  5. No details are available of the seating capacity of these trains, but they could be between 650 and 700, so they could maximise capacity on any LNER route.

Yesterday, the InterCity 225 performed well, although the windows at the seat where I sat, were rather dirty.

Changing Trains At Leeds Station

I changed to TransPennine Exzpress at Leeds station.

  • At least, Leeds station, is one of the few in the UK, with a ticket office behind the barrier. Reading station please note this.
  • But, I did have to walk across the bridge from one side of the station to the other.

In the end, I caught the TransPennine Express with about thirty seconds to spare.

Between Leeds And Huddersfield Stations

I took these pictures between Leeds and Huddersfield stations.

Note.

  1. Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations is about eight miles and takes about eight minutes.
  2. It is virtually a continuous building site, where extra tracks are being inserted.
  3. Three stations are being rebuilt.
  4. Overhead electrification is being installed. But except for approaching Huddersfield, there’s not much to be seen.
  5. OpenRailwayMap gives the maximum speed between Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations as between 60-75 mph.

The ride on my Class 803 train was very quiet and smooth. Was it on battery power or was I sitting in a coach without a diesel engine underneath?

Huddersfield Station

I took these pictures at Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Huddersfield station is Grade I Listed.
  2. There is a pub in each wing.
  3. I had a beer in the West Wing.
  4. There are currently three main through platforms and three bay platforms.
  5. Extensive works, which will be part of the TransPennine Upgrade,  will include electrification, a new roof, a new footbridge, and two extra through platforms.

Huddersfield station will be the jewel in the Costa del Yorkshire.

The Platforms At Huddersfield Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms in Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. The red and black tracks are being electrified.
  2. Of the current platforms, Platforms 1, 4 and 8 will be electrified.
  3. The two bay platforms; 5 and 6, will be converted into through platforms.
  4. Platform 2 is the bay platform in the South-West corner of the map, that is used by the shuttle train from Sheffield.

I am sure extra platforms could be electrified as required, as there must be a good electrical connection at Huddersfield station.

A Tram-Train Service Between Huddersfield And Sheffield Stations

This OpenRailwayMap shows platform 2 at Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Platform 2 is the black track at the right of the two through tracks, that are being electrified.
  2. Platform 2 is a bay platform close to the Head of Steam pub.
  3. I estimate that the platform is about 90 metres long.
  4. I suspect Platform 2 could be lengthened if required.
  5. Sheffield’s Class 399 tram/trains are 37.2 metres long, so a pair should fit in Platform 2.
  6. The Class 398 tram/trains can run on battery power and climb hills in South Wales.
  7. Platform 2 at Huddersfield station could be electrified to charge the tram/trains.
  8. There could be a significant height difference between Huddersfield and Sheffield stations of about 40 metres, which could be used to charge tram/trains on the way down.
  9. I feel with some track improvements, that a four trains per hour (tph) service could be run.

The service would call at Meadowhall, Chapeltown, Elsecar, Wombwell, Barnsley, Dodworth, Silkstone Common, Penistone, Denby Dale, Shepley, Stocksmoor, Brockholes, Honley, Berry Brow and Lockwood

The Pair Of Cranes In Huddersfield Station

These can’t be missed in the pictures. But why two massive cranes?

With an old roof to be taken down and a new roof and a footbridge to be lifted into place, I believe Network Rail have decided to bring in two of largest mobile cranes available in the UK, so that all the lifting doesn’t delay the project.

Between Huddersfield And Stalybridge Stations

I took these pictures between Huddersfield and Stalybridge stations.

Note.

  1. The Class 802 train was running freely along a well-laid track.
  2. There are four stations between Huddersfield and Stalybridge; Slaithwaite, Marsden, Greenfield and Mossley(Manchester).
  3. The stations were in reasonable condition, but some needed new footbridges and a bit of refurbishment.
  4. There was virtually no signs of any foundations for electrification.

This map shows the route.

Note.

  1. The pink tracks are the Manchester Metrolink.
  2. The red tracks are electrified at 25 KVAC overhead.
  3. The red and black tracks are being electrified.
  4. Huddersfield is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
  5. Stalybridge station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  6. The pink track in the South-West corner of the map is the Manchester Metrolink branch to Ashton-under-Lyme.
  7. The route between Huddersfield and Stalybridge is shown as it will will be fully electrified.
  8. Huddersfield and Stalybridge is 18 miles.
  9. There are three short tunnels between Huddersfield and Stalybridge.

I wonder, if it would be more affordable to not put up wires between Huddersfield and Stalybridge and use battery-electric passenger trains and hydrogen freight locomotives?

Stalybridge Station

I took these pictures at Stalybridge station.

The station is fully-electrified and has direct services to Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Newcastlle, Wigan and York.

Will Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle Be Fully Electrified?

Consider.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle stations is 180.8 miles.
  • Newcastle and Church Fenton stations is 91.4 miles and is fully-electrified.
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Stalybridge stations is 39.4 miles and is fully-electrified.

This means that the gap between Church Fenton and Stalybridge stations is just fifty miles.

Real Time Trains indicate that the current Class 802 trains on the route run on diesel between Stalybridge and York stations, which is 60.8 miles.

  • Changing power in Stalybridge and York stations means if anything goes wrong passengers can be easily rescued.
  • From what I saw on Thursday, it looks like electrification will be completed between Neville Hill depot and Huddersfield.

I wouldn’t be surprised, if they just electrified to the West of Stalybridge and the East of Huddersfield.

That would mean that the 18 miles between Stalybridge and Huddersfield would be run on batteries.

  • But it would also avoid electrifying three tunnels.
  • How much disruption would be saved, by not electrifying the tunnels?
  • Freight trains would use something like a bi-mode Class 99 locomotive, but it would only need a range of 18 miles on diesel.

I can also see improvised bi-mode locomotives being used like this combination of a Class 66 and Class 90 locomotives.

It was certainly doing its job, when I saw the combination at Shenfield.

August 24, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Completing Northern Powerhouse Rail

The Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two Connection To Manchester Airport Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail connections that terminate at Manchester Airport station.

Note.

  1. The two runways are clearly shown.
  2. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow near the top of the map.
  3. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  4. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  5. Rail and tram services approach the airport station from the East.
  6. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two
  7. The black dotted line appears to be an extension of the tram line to the airport.

This second OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around the airport station to a larger scale.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the bottom of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  3. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  4. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  5. The Manchester Metrolink now makes a loop around the Airport.

I think the following will happen.

  • A large proportion of passengers and staff travelling between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre will use Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  • Passengers and staff, who live locally will use the Manchester Metro loop.
  • Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two will replace some of the current train services.
  • Some services on the Castlefield Corridor will migrate to Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.

There could be as many as twelve trains per hour (tph) between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre on Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two. But a new urban line like that, which was mostly in a tunnel could probably handle 20 tph.

Manchester Airport And Crewe

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Crewe stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the top of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are rail lines.
  3. The red track going down the left hand side of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
  4. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  5. The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  6. Crewe station is at the bottom of the map in the middle.

There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Airport and Crewe.

Manchester Airport And Manchester Piccadilly

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Airport station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The orange tracks are existing rail lines.
  3. The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
  4. The red dotted line going up the middle of the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  5. Manchester Piccadilly station is at the Northern end of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the City Centre between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations.

Note.

  1. Manchester Piccadilly station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. The red dotted lines creeping into the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
  3. All the platforms in Manchester Piccadilly station can be picked out, with the Castlefield Corridor breaking away to the West.
  4. The current plans will need demolition of buildings to the North of Manchester Piccadilly station.
  5. Manchester Victoria station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  6. The green line of the Manchester Metrolink route picks out the walking route between Manchester’s two main stations.
  7. About halfway between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations is the open space of Piccadilly Gardens.

This Google Map shows Piccadilly Gardens.

Note.

  1. The Manchester Metrolink running through.
  2. There are two Metrolink stops ; Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens, in the area.
  3. It appears any stop on the Manchester Metrolink can be reached with no more than a single change from one of these two stops.

Looking at the map showing Victoria and Piccadilly stations, I wonder, if a Lizzie Line of the North could be built under Manchester City Centre.

  • There would be underground platforms at Piccadilly station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the South.
  • Local services from Piccadilly station could continue as now, although services to Manchester Airport could be simplified.
  • There would be an underground station at Piccadilly Gardens with two through platforms , to connect with an expanded Manchester Metrolink, buses and walking routes.
  • There would be underground platforms at Victoria station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the East.
  • Local services from Victoria could continue as now.
  • There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Victoria, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport.

Just as the Lizzie Line was slotted into London, with the minimum of disruption, I am fairly certain, a similar but smaller construction process could be carried out in Manchester City Centre.

  • Manchester doesn’t have an Underground to avoid.
  • The stations could be very similar to each other and like Custom House station on the Lizzie Line, they could be built with giant concrete Lego.
  • There would only be four stations to create.
  • The tunnel would be about fifteen miles at most.
  • The tunnel would not need to be electrified as the trains could run on batteries.

As a Manchester Rail Tunnel has been talked about for decades, I suspect there is a big knowledge base of ground conditions, which would help with the design and construction.

Between Manchester Victoria And Leeds

Consider.

  • The electrification between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations has recently been switched on.
  • Part of the electrification between Leeds and York stations has been switched on.
  • Full electrification is being installed between Leeds and Manchester Victoria stations.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Huddersfield Line between Manchester Victoria station and a few miles short of Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Manchester Victoria station is indicated by the blue arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Huddersfield station is just off the map in the North-East corner.
  3. Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations is fully electrified and shown in red.
  4. Stalybridge and Huddersfield stations is being electrified and is shown as black and red dotted.
  5. Electrification between Huddersfield and Leeds is underway under the TransPennine Upgrade.

This section will be completed, when the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel is connected to the Huddersfield Line.

Connecting The Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel To The Huddersfield Line

This Google Map shows where the Huddersfield Line crosses the M60 Motorway to the West of Ashton-under-Lyme.

Note.

  1. The newly-electrified Huddersfield Line runs across the map.
  2. The M60 Motorway is on the left.
  3. There are facilities for athletics, cricket and football.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eastern portal of the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel was in this area.

But looking at Google  Maps between this site and Manchester Victoria, there are other sites.

Conclusion

I now feel that it is possible to create a Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two route using a tunnel under Manchester.

Obviously, there is more work to be done.

August 15, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Where Is Handsacre Junction?

Handsacre Junction is where High Speed Two trains from London Euston and Birmingham will join the Trent Valley Line to complete their journeys via Stafford and Crewe.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the junction.

Note.

  1. The solid red track going diagonally across the map is the Trent Valley Line, which is a section of the West Coast Main Line.
  2. The station on the Trent Valley Line at the top of the map is Rugeley Trent Valley.
  3. The station on the Trent Valley Line at the bottom of the map is Lichfield Trent Valley.
  4. The dotted tracks running North-South show the proposed route of High Speed Two.
  5. Only the dashed sections of tracks will be built for Phase 1 of High Speed Two.

From the map, I estimate that that High Speed Two will join the Trent Valley Line at the mid-way point between the two stations.

According to Real Time Trains, the stations are these distances from Euston.

  • Lichfield Trent Valley – 116.4 miles
  • Rugeley Trent Valley – 124.4 miles

So this puts Handsacre Junction at 120.4 miles from Euston.

Searching the Internet, I find the distance between Euston and Handsacre Junction on High Speed Two as 192.77 km. or 119.8 miles.

It would appear that the High Speed Two route is 0.6 mile longer.

Euston And Handsacre Junction Times

This table shows Euston and Handsacre junction times at various speeds.

High Speed Two Average Speed – 205 mph – 35 mins.

Class 390 Train Average Speed – 140 mph – 51 mins.

Euston And Glasgow Central Times

If I assume, that the trains take the same three hours and 47 minutes between Handsacre junction and Glasgow Central as Class 390 trains do now, I get these times.

High Speed Two Average Speed – 205 mph – 4 hour and 22 mins.

Class 390 Train Average Speed – 140 mph – 4 hours and 38 mins.

Euston And Liverpool Lime Street Times

If I assume, that the trains take the same 71 minutes between Handsacre junction and Liverpool Lime Street as Class 390 trains do now, I get these times.

High Speed Two Average Speed – 205 mph – 1 hour and 46 mins.

Class 390 Train Average Speed – 140 mph – 2 hours and 2 mins.

Euston And Manchester Piccadilly Times

If I assume, that the trains take the same 66 minutes between Handsacre junction and Manchester Piccadilly as Class 390 trains do now, I get these times.

High Speed Two Average Speed – 205 mph – 1 hour and 41 mins.

Class 390 Train Average Speed – 140 mph – 1 hours and 57 mins.

June 18, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Heads Of The Valleys Road Upgrade Officially Opens

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

This is the sub-heading.

The final phase of the £2 billion Heads of the Valleys Road upgrade programme has officially opened.

These first two paragraphs add detail to the project.

The Welsh Government said it marked the completion of “one of the UK’s largest and most technically challenging road projects”.

The £1.4 billion Section 5&6 Dowlais to Hirwaun final phase links the Valleys, South and West Wales to the English Midlands and beyond, together with ports serving Irish and other European destinations. As well as improving the resilience of the South Wales trunk road network, the road provides a vital link across the top of the South Wales valleys for the Metro project improving links to the Cardiff and Swansea Bay City Regions, the Welsh Government said.

From the statistics of work done and the money involved, it would appear that a comprehensive upgrade has fixed a big gap in the UK’s motorway network in South Wales.

This Google Map shows the locations of Dowlais and Hirwaun.

Note.

  1. Dowlais is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Hirwaun is in the South-West corner of the map and is outlined in red.
  3. The Heads of the Valleys Road links Dowlais and Hirwaun.
  4. Going East from Dowlais leads to Abergavenny, Monmouth, Raglan and the English Midlands.
  5. Abergavenny has a station, but Monmouth and Raglan don’t!
  6. Abergavenny station has comprehensive services to stations as far apart as Cardiff, Crewe, Holyhead, Manchester Piccadilly,  Swansea and Wrexham General.

Abergavenny station could eventually turn out to be a parkway station for the South Wales Valleys.

I can certainly understand, why Lumo wants to run a service to Hereford.

I also feel that the Welsh government and Transport for Wales would be in favour of the service.

  • Three towns in Wales; Cwmbran, Pontypool and Abergavenny get a direct service to Bristol Parkway and London Paddington stations.
  • Hereford already has an hourly connection to Birmingham New Street via Worcester and University.
  • If a coach were to be provided between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Airport, this could make getting to Bristol Airport easier.

I can see further improvements to services, that terminate at Abergavenny.

June 14, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Times Of Avanti West Coast Trains Between London Euston And Crewe

This table shows the first few Avanti West Coast trains between London Euston and Crewe on the 17th March 2025.

  • 390119 – IS37 – Glasgow – 11 cars – 05:31 – 07:29 – 2 stops – 118 mins – 80.3 mph.
  • 390155 – IH61 – Manchester Piccadilly – 11 cars – 06:29 – 08:08 – 2 stops – 99 mins – 95.7 mph.
  • 807007 – IF11 – Liverpool Lime Street – 7 cars – 06:36 – 08:23 – 2 stops – 107 mins – 88.6 mph.
  • 390104 – IS42 – Glasgow – 11 cars – 07:29 – 08:59 – 0 stops – 90 mins – 105.3 mph
  • 390010 – IH62 – Manchester Piccadilly – 9 cars – 07:33 – 09:10 – 1 stop – 97 mins – 97.7 mph.
  • 390044 – IF12 – Liverpool Lime Street – 9 cars – 07:43 – 09:18 – 2 stops – 95 mins – 99.7 mph.
  • 390118 – IS45 – Glasgow – 11 cars – 08:30 – 10:01 – 0 stops – 91 mins – 104.2 mph
  • 390040 – IH63 – Manchester Piccadilly – 11 cars – 08:33 – 10:19 – 1 stop – 106 mins – 89.4 mph.
  • 807001 – IF14 – Liverpool Lime Street – 7 cars – 08:43 – 10:28 – 1 stop – 95 mins – 99.7 mph.
  • 805001/805011 – ID83 – Holyhead – 10 cars – 09:02 – 10:51 – 1 stop – 109 mins – 86.9 mph.
  • 390136 – IS48 – Glasgow – 11 cars – 09:30 – 11:02 – 0 stops – 92 mins – 103.0 mph
  • 390040 – IH64 – Manchester Piccadilly – 9 cars – 09:33 – 11:08 – 1 stop – 95 mins – 99.7 mph.
  • 390154 – IF16 – Liverpool Lime Street – 11 cars – 09:43 – 11:31 – 1 stop – 108 mins – 87.7 mph.
  • 805012/805003 – ID84 – Chester – 10 cars – 10:10 – 11:53 – 1 stop – 103 mins – 92.0 mph.
  • 390130 – IS52 – Glasgow – 11 cars – 10:30 – 12:00 – 0 stops – 90 mins – 105.3 mph
  • 390151 – IH65 – Manchester Piccadilly – 11 cars – 10:35 – 12:09 – 1 stop – 94 mins – 100.8 mph.
  • 807008 – IF18 – Liverpool Lime Street – 7 cars – 10:43 – 12:30 – 1 stop – 107 mins – 88.6 mph.
  • 805009 – ID85 – Chester – 5 cars – 11:00 – 11:46 – 1 stop – 106 mins – 89.4 mph.

Note.

  1. All trains shown, go through Crewe.
  2. Some trains were delayed, hence their slow average speed.
  3. The Glasgow trains, which run non-stop from Euston to Warrington Bank Quay were the fastest, with four trains over 100 mph.

I have a few other thoughts.

The Class 805 Trains Are Crying Out For Batteries

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I said this on how the Hitachi Class 80x trains will perform on batteries.

These are my conclusions about Hitachi’s battery packs for Class 80x trains.

  • The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
  • A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
  • The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.

Holyhead and Crewe is only 105.5 miles.

As battery technology gets better, these distances will increase.

The Fast Glasgow Train Appears To Be Leading A Convoy

The non-stop to Warrington Bank Quay Glasgow trains, also appear to be leading one Manchester Piccadilly, a Liverpool Lime Street and a Chester/North Wales train in a convoy, through Milton Keynes Central and the Trent Valley.

This convoy could grow as other services are added to the West Coast Main Line.

The Open Access Services Might Have Their Own Convoy

It would seem to me, that it might be possible to run a second convoy every hour, out of phase with the current one following the Glasgow service.

It also might be more virtual than real and under the control of the digital signalling, that will be installed on the line.

March 23, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Thoughts On Tram-Trains In Manchester

The State Of Public Transport In the North

Over the last few years plans have been put in place to improv the state of the public transport of the major cities of the North and progress has started to happen, with new trains, trams and light rail systems being planned and in some cases coming into service.

Birmingham, Coventry And The West Midlands

A lot of investment has been made and it is continuing.

  • Birmingham New Street station has been rebuilt.
  • Coventry and Wolverhampton stations have been remodelled.
  • Two new stations were built in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games.
  • A large number of new Class 730 local  trains are being brought into service.
  • Birmingham stations are being updated for High Speed Two.
  • The West Midland Metro has been extended at both ends and a second line is under construction.

Transport in the wider West Midlands has been greatly improved.

Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield And The East Midlands

The major investment in this area is the electrification of the Midland Main Line and the provision of new Hitachi electric Class 810 trains.

In addition the following has been done.

  • The Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield has been improved.
  • Derby station has been improved.
  • The local trains have been refurbished.
  • The power supply has been improved.
  • An application for an Open Access service to Sheffield has been made.

The improvements in the East Midlands, will not be on the same scale as in the West Midlands, but they will make a difference.

Leeds, Bradford And West Yorkshire

For decades, West Yorkshire and especially Bradford has lagged behind the rest of the North.

But at least things are stirring.

  • Plans have been laid to create a through station in Bradford.
  • Leeds station has been refurbished.
  • An extra platform is being added at Bradford Forster Square station.
  • The TransPennine Upgrade is underway to electrify between Huddersfield and York.
  • Hitachi have developed a battery-electric high speed train for the TransPennine route.
  • Bradford is installing a hydrogen electrolyser, so that the city can have hydrogen buses to cope with the hills.
  • Plans are now being developed to create a metro for Leeds and Bradford.

West Yorkshire is closing the gap to the rest of the North.

Liverpool And Merseyside

Again, a lot of investment has been made.

  • The approaches to Liverpool Lime Street station have finally been sorted, with more tracks and new signalling.
  • Liverpool Lime Street station has been improved and is now one of the finest stations in Europe.
  • Trains are now approaching High Speed Two times between Crewe and Liverpool.
  • More services between London and Liverpool can now be planned, with the arrival of new Class 807 trains.
  • Some new stations have been built and more are planned.
  • A large number of new Class 777 local  trains are being brought into service.

Transport in the wider Merseyside has been greatly improved.

Newcastle, Tyneside And Northumberland

The area is getting investment, but not as much in proportion as others.

  • The Metro trains are being replaced and the Metro itself, is getting a major update.
  • The East Coast Main Line has received improvements to power supplies, signalling and some bottlenecks.
  • The Northumberland Line to Ashington is being brought back into operation.

It’s a start, but if the Northumberland Line is a success, I can see a call for more line re openings.

Manchester And Greater Manchester

If you look at each of the areas, they generally have one or more large projects.

  • Birmingham, Coventry And The West Midlands – Birmingham New Street station, Class 730 Trains, High Speed Two, West Midland Metro
  • Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield And The East Midlands – Midland Main Line, Class 810 Trains, Hope Valley Line, Open Access To Sheffield
  • Leeds, Bradford And West Yorkshire – Leeds station, Bradford improvements, TransPennine Upgrade, Battery-Ekectric Trains, Leeds Metro
  • Liverpool And Merseyside – Liverpool Lime Street Improvements, Class 807 Trains, Class 777 Trains
  • Newcastle, Tyneside And Northumberland – Metro upgrade with New Trains, Northumberland Line

So what improvements are in the pipeline for Greater Manchester?

This Wikipedia entry is entitled Proposed Developments Of Manchester Metrolink.

The proposed developments include in the Wikipedia order.

  • New Metrolink Stop: Stop to serve new housing development  proposed at Elton Reservoir on the Bury Line.
  • New Metrolink Stop: Stop to serve new housing development  proposed at Sandhills on the Bury Line.
  • New Metrolink Stop: Stop to serve new housing development  proposed at Cop Road on the Oldham and Rochdale Line.
  • Airport Line extension to Terminal 2: A short extension of the Airport Line from the current Manchester Airport station to the site of the expanded Terminal 2.
  • Airport Line extension to Davenport Green: An extension of the Airport Line from Roundthorn to the site of the proposed Manchester Airport High Speed station on the HS2 high speed network.
  • Oldham–Heywood via Rochdale tram-train pathfinder: A tram-train service utilising the heavy rail Calder Valley line to connect Oldham to Heywood through Rochdale railway station.
  • Manchester Airport–Wilmslow via Styal tram-train pathfinder: A tram-train service operating on the southern section of the heavy rail Styal Line between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow in Cheshire.
  • South Manchester–Hale via Altrincham tram-train pathfinder: An extension of Metrolink’s Altrincham Line using tram-train to reach Hale on the heavy rail Mid-Cheshire line.
  • Improved Metrolink frequency between Piccadilly and Victoria stations: Increasing capacity to provide a direct service from Rochdale and Oldham to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Interventions to improve Metrolink capacity and reliability: Includes improvements to turnback facilities and double-tracking currently single-track sections.
  • Further interventions to improve Metrolink capacity and reliability: Includes longer vehicles, a third depot and double-tracking currently single-track sections.
  • Manchester–Stalybridge extension: An extension of the East Manchester Line from Ashton-under-Lyne to Stalybridge.
  • Manchester–Middleton extension: A proposed spur from the Bury Line connecting to the town of Middleton.
  • Oldham–Middleton extension: A spur from Oldham to Middleton.
  • MediaCityUK–Salford Crescent: A line connecting the MediaCityUK tram stop to the Salford Crescent railway station interchange. Further new Metrolink.
  • Connections between Salford Crescent, Inner Salford and the City Centre: Extension of the MediaCityUK–Salford Crescent line into the regional centre.
  • Completion of the Airport Line (Wythenshawe Loop): Completion of the Wythenshawe Loop by connecting the Metrolink lines between the Davenport Green and Manchester Airport Terminal 2 extensions.
  • Port Salford/Salford Stadium extension: Extending the Trafford Park Line from the Trafford Centre to a proposed container terminal at Port Salford.
  • Glossop tram-train: A tram-train service utilising the Glossop line between Manchester and Glossop in Derbyshire.
  • Marple tram-train: A tram-train service utilising the Hope Valley line branches north of Marple towards Manchester.
  • Manchester–Wigan via Atherton tram-train: A tram-train service utilising the Atherton section of the Manchester–Southport line between Manchester and Wigan.
  • Manchester–Warrington tram-train: A tram-train service utilising the southern route of the Liverpool–Manchester lines between Manchester and Warrington.
  • Stockport–Hazel Grove tram-train: A tram-train service between Stockport and the suburb of Hazel Grove.
  • Stockport–Manchester Airport tram-train: A tram-train service between Stockport and Manchester Airport.
  • Rochdale–Bury via Heywood tram-train: Extension of the Oldham–Heywood tram-train pathfinder from Heywood to Bury.
  • Manchester Airport–Mid Cheshire tram-train: A tram-train service from Manchester Airport using a proposed Western Link rail line to the Mid-Cheshire line.
  • Stockport–Ashton via Denton and Reddish tram-train: A tram-train service utilising the Stockport–Stalybridge line from Stockport to Ashton.
  • Cornbrook–Manchester Airport via Timperley tram-train: A tram-train service from Cornbrook using the Altrincham line to Timperley, the Mid Cheshire line to Baguley, then the Wythenshawe Loop to Manchester Airport.
  • Regional centre metro tunnel: Providing capacity for more services on the network.
  • Oldham–Greenfield via Grotton extension: A Metrolink spur from Oldham town centre to Greenfield railway station on the Huddersfield line.
  • Oldham–Royton extension: A Metrolink spur from the Oldham and Rochdale line to the town of Royton.

Note.

  1. The number of times that tram-trains are mentioned.
  2. But with its numerous rail and tram lines, Greater Manchester is ideally suited for conversion to tram-trains.
  3. There are three pathfinder routes for tram-trains, which will be converted first to prove the technology.

These are my detailed thoughts on tram-trains in Greater Manchester,

All Routes Could Be Run By Identical Tram-Trains

If this can be arranged, it is surely preferable from the operator, staff and passengers point-of-view.

Tram-Trains Can Run On Secondary Routes Like The Calder And Hope Valley Lines

In Manchester, this would enable some routes to be swapped from the rail to the tram network.

It would also allow trams to run between networks, so you could have a direct tram service between say Stockport and Sheffield on the Hope Valley Line.

Tram-Trains Can Be Faster

Tram-trains can be faster, when running on rail lines, so they don’t hold up expresses.

What Do Tram-Trains Look Like?

This is one of Sheffield’s Class 399 tram-trains at Rotherham Parkgate.

Note.

  1. This tram-train is a member of the Stadler Citylink family.
  2. this version can be powered by either 750 VDC or 25 KVAC.
  3. The Welsh version will also have battery-power.
  4. It is a three-car tram train.
  5. There is step-free access.

The Wikipedia entry for the Stadler Citylink has lots more details.

Stadler have just launched a new smaller one- or two-car tram-train.

This image from the press release shows the prototype hydrogen-powered one-car RS ZERO.

Note.

  1. The Regio-Shuttles can run as up to seven car trains.
  2. These RS ZERO are powered by overhead electrification, battery or hydrogen power.
  3. They can carry 170 passengers at 75 mph.
  4. They can run as train-trams using the Chemnitz model on compatible tram networks.
  5. The interiors are very flexible.
  6. An RS ZERO can be fitted with toilets for the posher parts of Manchester.
  7. Typically, a one-car RS ZERO handles a similar passenger load to a one-car Metrolink vehicle.

The more I compare the RS ZERO with the Metrolink’s trams, the more it looks like Stadler’s design has a Metrolink order firmly in its sights.

A Simple Tram-Train Example

The Altrincham Line of the Metrolink, runs between Altrincham and Deansgate-Castlefield in Central Manchester.

  • Tram-trains would be capable of sharing the tracks with the current trams.
  • Initially, they would run an identical service to the same destinations in the North.
  • At either Navigation Road or Altrincham stations, they would switch to the heavy rail track.
  • They would then travel to Hale or whatever station is determined to be the terminus.

Tram-trains would be a simple way of extending a tram service along a heavy eail line.

The Range Of The RS ZERO

This article on the Railway Gazette is entitled Prototype RS Zero Hydrogen Or Battery Railcar For Secondary Lines Unveiled At InnoTrans, has this paragraph.

The hydrogen powered RS Zero has a range of more than 700 km in the single car version, and a two-car version would offer more than 1 000 km. Battery trains will offer ranges of 80 to 110 km or 90 to 180 km. The maximum speed is 120 km/h.

As Chester and Manchester is only 45 miles or 72.4 kilometres, ways and means of running the battery versions on the route should be possible.

In fact, as Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly is already electrified at 25 KVAC and a return trip to Manchester Piccadilly from Stockport probably takes about twenty-five minutes, I would envisage that an RS ZERO would leave Stockport for Chester with a full battery. As Stockport and Chester is only 39.2 miles or 63 kilometres, the RS ZERO  should do the trip if it started with a full battery and had a short length of electrification at Chester to top up the battery, if needed.

Other Possible Tram-Train Routes From Stockport

It is indicated the Metrolink would like to run other tram-train routes from Stockport.

  • Ashton – Not sure of the route
  • Buxton – 31.8 km
  • Hazel Grove – 5 km – Electrified
  • Manchester Piccadilly – 9 km – Electrified
  • Manchester Airport – Not sure of the route
  • Sheffield – 59 km – Will be electrified at Sheffield

Note.

  1. This would speed up Sheffield services.
  2. Buxton would be an interesting route and would probably use Newton’s friend to help on the return.

I suspect that nearly all local services from Manchester through Stockport could be run by battery-electric or hydrogen tram-trains.

The Glossop Line Could Be Converted To Tram-Train

It’s already electrified so why not?

Conclusion

It strikes me, that a lot of Manchester’s suburban rail network could be converted to RS ZERO tram-trains.

The RS ZERO  tram-trains could also be used on existing tram routes to convert them to tram-train operation and extend them.

As a bonus Manchester’s trains would be substantially decarbonised.

 

 

 

December 4, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Avanti West Coast Increases Liverpool – London Services With Launch Of Electric Evero Trains

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the sub-heading.

Avanti West Coast officially launched the Class 807 electric only-version of its Hitachi-built Evero trainsets into service on November 11. This enables the operator to offer an additional weekday return service between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.

On the 14th of November 2024, these services were run by new Class 807 trains.

  • 3F79 – 807001 – 2100 – Northampton to Liverpool Lime Street
  • 3F80 – 807001 – 0023 – Liverpool Lime Street to Edge Hill Depot
  • 5A99 – 807001 – 0836 – Edge Hill Depot to Liverpool Lime Street
  • 1A99 – 807001 – 0901 – Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston – 02:40
  • 1F12 – 807003 – 0743 – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street – 03:07
  • 1A28 – 807003 – 1043 – Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston – 02:20

Note,

  1. I have shown all Class 807 movements that happened. Some possibly didn’t!
  2. There appear to be extra services, which I’ve marked with their times.
  3. Time seems to be available to go to Edge Hill Depot if needed.
  4. I suspect an open return ticket can be used on any train, that’s running.

Services seem to be slow, but they can be booked.

Avanti Are Ramping Up The Service

I suspect that as they add more trains, times will come down and a stop at Liverpool South Parkway will be added.

The Class 390 trains currently used on the Liverpool route are too long for Liverpool South Parkway station.

But seven-car Class 807 trains would fit easily.

The shorter and lighter seven-car Class 807 trains may well have faster acceleration and deceleration than the nine- or eleven-car Class 390 trains with their heavy tilting mechanism.

Could this extra performance mean that the Class 807 trains could still meet the timetable with extra stops?

In Is Liverpool Going To Get High Speed One-Point-Five?, I discussed various options for the London and Liverpool service.

I believe that a practical timetable like this could work.

  • Eleven-car Class 390 train – one tph – Non-stop or perhaps a single stop in the Midlands – Under two hours
  • Seven-car Class 807 train – one tph – Stopping at Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway – Current time or better

Note.

  1. An hourly service between London and Liverpool in under two hours would surely be a passenger magnet.
  2. Two tph would be a 43 % hourly increase in the number of seats between London and Liverpool.
  3. There would be better connections between Liverpool Lime Street and the East Midlands.

The Railway Gazette article also says this.

From the December timetable change AWC will supplement the current hourly Liverpool – London service with an extra two trains each way every weekday and a third service on Saturdays.

In the short term, AWC will not be delivering the long-standing plan for a half-hourly service on the route, but further services are to be introduced over the next year.

One constraint relates to the power supply. Network Rail has identified two locations where additional electric services cannot currently be accommodated, and discussions over a resolution are ongoing.

A fast service could also be applied to one of the London and Manchester services.

It should be noted, that the two hours and eight minutes record between Manchester and London Euston was set by an InterCity 225 in 1992, so perhaps a seven-car Class 807 could do better than a Class 390 train.

Could A Pair Of Class 807 Trains Leave Euston For Liverpool And Manchester, And Split At Crewe?

Train lengths are as follows.

  • Seven-car Class 807 train – 182 metres.
  • Fourteen-car Class 807 train – 364 metres.
  • Nine-car Class 390 train – 217.5 metres.
  • Eleven-car Class 390 train – 365.3 metres.
  • Caledonian Sleeper – 374 metres.

I suspect with perhaps a small amount of platform lengthening, a pair of Class 807 could be fitted into all stations, where they would need to call.

This might be a way of adding extra capacity and faster services to Manchester, without needing an extra path on the West Coast Main Line.

Could A Single Class 807 Train Call At Manchester Airport Station?

The platforms at Manchester Airport station are 192 metres long, so a single Class 807 train should fit.

This would allow an hourly service from Manchester Airport to the South, without a change at Manchester Piccadilly or Crewe.

To save paths, it could split and join with the second Liverpool service at Crewe.

Conclusion

The new Class 807 trains could increase performance to between London Euston and both Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.

November 16, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

250,000 Seats A Day On The WCML?

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

These are the first three paragraphs.

In the Parliamentary debate on the cancellation of HS2 phase 2, Transport Minister Mark Harper claimed that what remains of HS2 will deliver “a massive increase in capacity to the West Coast Main Line (WCML)” by providing 250,000 seats a day. This figure was subsequently repeated by the Prime Minister and Rail Minister who advised that it applies “across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast.”

Yet without HS2 phase 2a, there is to be no WCML capacity increase north of Lichfield. Furthermore, with no HS2 station in Manchester it will not be possible to run the planned two-unit 400-metre HS2 trains to the city. Instead, there can only be single 200-metre unit HS2 trains which are shorter than the current 265-metre Pendolino trains.

Furthermore, 250,000 seats a day is equivalent to running 17 x 605-seat Pendolinos an hour, 24 hours a day. This is clearly not credible.

Note.

  1. The writer’s assumptions about Manchester are correct.
  2. Liverpool Lime Street is already is already HS2-ready for trains between Crewe and London, after the recent upgrade.
  3. Liverpool Lime Street will certainly be able to take two London trains per hour (tph), which can only be single 200-metre unit HS2 trains.
  4. Liverpool Lime Street may be able to take a third London train per hour.

These are my thoughts.

Current Services

Current services include.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham New Street – 2 trains per day (tpd)
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street – 5 tpd
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street – 7 tpd
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Birmingham New Street – 1 tph
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead – 10 tpd
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph – Increasing to 2 tph.
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport – 1 tph
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent and Stockport – 1 tph
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport – 1 tph
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central – 1 tph.
  • West Midlands Trains – London and Birmingham New Street – 2 tph
  • West Midlands Trains – London and Crewe – 1 tph
  • West Midlands Trains – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph

It looks like there are eight Avanti West Coast tph and two West Midlands Trains tph between Stafford and Crewe.

High Speed Two Services

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

  1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
  2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
  3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
  4. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
  5. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
  6. Was Lancaster chosen as it’s close to the new Eden Project Morecambe?

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

The Author’s Assumption

The author has made these assumptions.

  • Current West Coast Main Line capacity North of Lichfield; Avanti West Coast – 8 tph, West Midlands – 1 tph and freight trains – 4 tph
  • HS2 offers no extra capacity North of Lichfield.
  • Max capacity ; Old Oak Common – 8 tph and London Euston – 10 tph.
  • 400-metre long trains North of Birmingham ; Min – 1 tph to Edinburgh/Glasgow
  • 400-metre long trains North of Birmingham ; Max – plus 3 tph to Liverpool/Manchester
  • Trains operate a maximum of 14 hours per day.

I would add.

  • All pairs of 200-metre long trains split and join at Crewe.
  • Birmingham Curzon Street has seven platforms.
  • Lancaster and Macclesfield have long bay platforms, that can handle 200-metre trains
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly have two platforms, that can handle 200-metre trains.
  • I suspect 
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly could both handle four 200-metre trains tph hour – Three for London and one for Birmingham.

There is a surprising amount of capacity in the North.

The Author’s Minimum Plan For HS1 – Phase 1

I think his minimum  plan is as follows.

  • Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
  • Old Oak Common and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • Old Oak Common and Liverpool Lime Street – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Old Oak Common and Macclesfield via  Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Old Oak Common and Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
  • Old Oak Common and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.

Note.

  1. 400-metre long trains are a pair of 200-metre long trains, that can split and join.
  2. This fulfils all the requirements of the original HS2 timetable for Phase 1.
  3. The total is nine tph and Old Oak Common can only handle 8 tph.
  4. Perhaps, the Liverpool Lime Street service could be a Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly service, that splits at Crewe?

I think it could work with London having the following services.

  • Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
  • Birmingham International – 400-metre long trains – 4 tph
  • Carlisle – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Crewe – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
  • Edinburgh Waverley – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Glasgow Central – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Lancaster – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Liverpool Lime Street – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
  • Macclesfield – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2/3 tph
  • Preston – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
  • Stafford – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Warrington Bank Quay – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • Wigan North Western – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph

Services care as good or better than the current services.

The Author’s Maximum Plan For HS1 – Phase 1

I think his maximum plan is as follows.

  • London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Macclesfield via  Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
  • London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.

Note.

  1. 400-metre long trains are a pair of 200-metre long trains, that can split and join.
  2. This fulfils all the requirements of the original HS2 timetable for Phase 1.
  3. That is nine tph and London Euston can handle 10 tph.
  4. Perhaps, a tenth train could serve Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central with a split at Crewe.

It should work.

Could High Speed Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street And Manchester Piccadilly Services Be Provided With A Reverse At Birmingham Curzon Street?

A train would take this route.

  • A 400 metre long train would leave London and go to Birmingham Curzon Street.
  • At Birmingham Curzon Street the train would reverse and travel to Crewe.
  • At Crewe the train would split with separate trains going to Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.

Note.

  1. Automation could be used extensively to do the joining and splitting.
  2. The train would have an onboard team of drivers, so all joins, reverses and splits are performed as fast as possible.
  3. A local service could be paired with each train, so that intermediate stations on the Liverpool and Manchester branches had excellent connections to Birmingham and the South.

Suppose the maximum plan is now as follows.

  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 3 tph – Reverses at Birmingham Curzon Street – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Lancaster – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Macclesfield via  Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400 metre long trains – 2 tph – Splits at Crewe.

Note.

  1. Birmingham Curzon Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly would all get four tph to and from London.
  2. Birmingham Curzon Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly would all get one tph to and from London, that could be non-stop and didn’t join, reverse or split.
  3. Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street would have a three tph service.
  4. Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly would have a three tph service.
  5. Lancaster, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and other stations would get the originally-promised service to and from London. 
  6. That is ten tph to and from London Euston and the station can handle that number of trains.

It should work.

Could High Speed Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central Services Be Provided With A Reverse At Birmingham Curzon Street?

In the previous section, I showed how, three tph between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly could be provided with a reverse at Birmingham Curzon Street.

So could the fourth train between London and Birmingham Curzon Street take this route?

  • A 400 metre long train would leave London and go to Birmingham Curzon Street.
  • At Birmingham Curzon Street the train would reverse and travel to Crewe, or another station, where the split can be performed.
  • The train would split with separate trains going to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.

Note.

  1. They would use the current paths used by Avanti West Coast Birmingham and Scotland services along the West Coast Main Line.
  2. This would give a third train to both Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.

It certainly appears that by using a reverse at Birmingham Curzon Street, more capacity can be created on the West Coast Main Line/HS2 route.

Could High Speed Two Serve North Wales?

It finally looks like the North Wales Coast Lines will finally be electrified.

  • Would this allow a 200 metre long train to run all the way to Holyhead for the boats to Ireland?
  • There could be a join and split at Crewe with another train.
  • Chester would also be served by HS2.

It would create a zero-carbon route to Ireland.

What Would Be The Daily Number Of Passengers Carried?

The maximum plan could now be as follows.

  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 3 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Macclesfield via  Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
  • London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly/Holyhead – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
  • London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400 metre long trains – 2 tph – Splits at Crewe.

Note.

  1. There are eight 400 metre long trains and one 200 metre long trains in both directions.
  2. A 200 metre long train hold 550 passengers.
  3. There are seventeen 200 metre long tph in both directions.
  4. Trains operate a maximum of 14 hours per day.

The number of passengers per day is 261,800.

 

 

 

May 7, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Rail Minister Marks Completion Of £150m Hope Valley Railway Upgrade

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

These first two paragraphs summarise the work.

More reliable journeys are promised on the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield after a £150 million upgrade was completed in early April.

Over the last three years, the existing platform at Dore & Totley station on the south side of Sheffield has been extended to cope with six-coach trains. Meanwhile the second platform has been rebuilt and commissioned (after it was removed in the 1980s), two mechanical signal boxes have been abolished and a new one-kilometre freight loop laid in the Peak District. At Hathersage, a pedestrian crossing has also been removed and replaced with a footbridge.

These are my thoughts.

Dore And Totley Station

The Rail Magazine article says this about the improvements at Dore and Totley station.

Replacing two tracks through Dore & Totley removes a single-track bottleneck that often saw Sheffield to Manchester express services held up by slower stopping services and cement trains destined for Earles Sidings. A nine-day shutdown of the route in March was needed to finish the work.

The new platform sits between the Midland Main Line and the Hope Valley line, so can only be reached via the new footbridge or lifts. As well as the usual ‘blister paving’ slabs marking the edge of the platform, other tactile paving has been laid to help people with visual impairments find their way around the station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the new layout of tracks at Dore and Totley station.

Note.

  1. The four tracks at the North of the map go to Sheffield station.
  2. The Eastern pair of tracks are the Midland Main Line and they go to the South-East corner of the map for Chesterfield and the South.
  3. The Western pair of tracks are the Hope Valley Line and they go to the South-West corner of the map for Manchester.
  4. The blue lettering in the middle of the map indicates Dore and Totley station.
  5. There is a single track curve between the Midland Main Line and the Hope Valley Line, which is mainly used by freight trains.

This secondOpenRailwayMap shows Dore and Totley station in greater detail.

The big improvement is that the Hope Valley Line is now double instead of single track, which must eliminate a lot of delays.

These pictures show the station in July 2020.

The pictures clearly show the single track and platform at Dore and Totley station.

Dore South Curve

Dore South Curve links the Southbound Midland Main Line with the Westbound Hope Valley Line.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the curve.

There is a crossover in the South-West corner of the map, so with careful signalling, trains can use the Dore South Curve in both directions.

Bamford Loop

This is a freight loop between Bamford and Hathersage stations.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the loop.

Note.

  1. The Hope Valley Line goes diagonally across the map.
  2. Manchester is to the North-West.
  3. Sheffield is to the South-East.
  4. Bamford station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  5. Hathersage station is just off the South-East corner of the map.
  6. The loop is on the Northern side of the Hope Valley Line.

The loop will most likely be used by trains going to Sheffield or Chesterfield.

Hathersage Footbridge

This Google Map shows Hathersage station.

Note.

  1. Dore Lane and the B 6001 appear to pass under the railway.
  2. There appears to be what could be foundations just to the West of the platforms at Hathersage station.
  3. From pictures found by Google the bridge appears to be a simple steel structure.

I shall have to go and take pictures.

Fast Trains Between Manchester And Nottingham

In the Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line, this is said.

Nottinghamshire County Council and the Department for Transport have investigated the possibility of adding another service that does not call at Sheffield in order to improve the journey time between Nottingham and Manchester. Stopping (and changing direction) in Sheffield, the fastest journey is 110 minutes (in 2019), but the council has estimated bypassing Sheffield would cut the time to 85 minutes. Suggested improvements on a 2+1⁄2-mile (4 km) stretch near Stockport may reduce journey times by 2–3 minutes.

Consider.

  • According to Google, the driving time between the two cities is 128 minutes and the motorway route is via the M1 and M62.
  • If nearly half-an-hour could be saved between Manchester and Nottingham could be a big saving in journey time.
  • Manchester Piccadilly is likely to be rebuilt for High Speed Two and a fast route via Nottingham could be a viable alternative.
  • Both Manchester and Nottingham have good local tram and train networks.
  • As the electrification of the Midland Main Line progresses, the route will be increasingly suitable for 100 mph battery-electric trains.

A Manchester and Nottingham express service looks to be an easy service to implement after the Hope Valley Line has been improved.

Hourly Stopping Trains Between Manchester And Sheffield

The Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line gives these details for the stopping service between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.

  • Trains are hourly.
  • Trains call at Reddish North, Brinnington, Bredbury, Romiley, Marple, New Mills Central, Chinley, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley.
  • But some services do not call at some or all of Edale, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley giving some 2-hour gaps between services at these stations.

Let’s hope that some of the extra capacity is used to provide a regular service at all stations on the Hope Valley Line.

As in a few years, it will have electrification at both ends, this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.

Completion Date

It appears that the first day, when passengers will be able to use the new upgraded tracks and stations will be Thursday, the 2nd of May.

Conclusion

The improvements, certainly seem to allow extra and improved services through on the Hope Valley Line.

I also feel that in a few years, services will be run by battery-electric trains.

 

April 27, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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