East-West Rail: Aylesbury Spur
This map from East West Rail shows the complete route of the East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge.
Note the spur to Aylesbury, which is shown dotted, which the legend says means it is a Potential Future Section of the EWR.
The papers in the area have different views.
- This article on Bucks Herald is entitled Aylesbury Spur Excluded From Government’s Latest East West Rail Route Outline.
- This article on Buckinghamshire Live is entitled East West Rail Aylesbury ‘Spur’ Plans Remain On The Table As Route Announced For £5bn Project.
So what do I feel about the Aylesbury Spur?
Train Services
In the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, it is stated that there will be an hourly service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central stations, that would call at Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley.
Wikipedia also states that there will be no Marylebone and Milton Keynes or Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly services.
I am surprised that a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service is ruled out, for these reasons.
- A Marylebone and Milton Keynes service would give Winslow a direct service to London.
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway has an hourly service from Marylebone, which could be extended to Milton Keynes Central to create the service.
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Marylebone have as many as three trains per hour (tph) in the Peak. Does this make timetabling of an hourly Marylebone and Milton Keynes service difficult?
The Wikipedia entry for Aylesbury Vale Parkway, says this about a Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway service.
It was proposed that, if services are extended to the north, trains between Milton Keynes Central and Marylebone would run via High Wycombe and not Amersham.
This dates from 2012.
But.
- There may be troubles with the timings of a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Milton Keynes.
- A separate Aylesbury and Milton Keynes service would give a half-hourly service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Aylesbury, whereas an extended service only gives the current hourly service.
This Google Map shows Aylesbury Vale Parkway station.
Note.
- The station only has a single bay platform.
- It appears that there is a step-free walk between the car park and the platform.
- There is no bridge or need for one.
- There is a single through line at the station on the opposite side to the car park, which is mainly used by trains going to the landfill at Calvert.
It looks from this map, that if the single platform were widened to an island platform, that both terminating and through trains could call in the station.
Perhaps though the modifications at Aylesbury Vale Parkway are too complicated or expensive?
The ruling out of the Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly service is probably easier to understand.
Consider.
- Milton Keynes Central will have a two tph service to Oxford and was planned to have an hourly service from Aylesbury.
- Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Manchester Piccadilly via Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
- Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Liverpool Lime Street via Crewe and Runcorn.
- Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Edinburgh Waverley via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Haymarket
- Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Preston via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western. Five trains per day (tpd) are extended to Glasgow and two tpd are extended to Blackpool North.
Note.
- A train running between Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly would probably need to be a 125 mph electric train, which would mean electrifying the East West Railway.
- A change at Milton Keynes Central would give access to trains for nearly all North-West England and Southern Scotland.
But because of all the connectivity at Milton Keynes Central, it surely puts pressure on providing an Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central service.
The Track
It is possible to follow the track North from Aylesbury Vale Parkway until it joins the East West Railway to the West of Winsford station.
This Google Map shows the junction, just North of the hamlet of Calvert..
Note.
- The East West Railway going across the top of the map.
- The single track railway to Aylesbury Vale Parkway coming North and then turning East to join the East West Railway.
- The railway from Aylesbury Vale Parkway is still used by trains taking landfill.
The Wikipedia entry for Calvert, says this about the landfill site.
Another of the clay pits is now a landfill site. Waste is collected from Bristol, Bath and London each day and transported using rail via Aylesbury to Calvert. The site has a power station capable of producing 14 MWe of electricity from landfill gas, coming from the decomposition of organic matter to convert it into renewable electricity MW.
Looking at the map and the traffic on Real Time Trains, it would appear that there would be enough capacity for both the freight and an hourly passenger train between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.
There is also the slight problem, that High Speed Two will be going through the area, as this map shows.
Note.
- High Speed Two is shown in yellow (cutting) and embankment (red).
- High Speed Two appears to run either on the same route or alongside the route to Aylesbury.
- The East West Railway goes across the top of thye map.
- The chord that connects the Aylesbury Spur to the East West Railway can clearly be seen.
- The Aylesbury Spur will run along the same route as High Speed Two.
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway will be just off the South-East corner of the map.
This page on the High Speed Two web site is entitled Boost for Oxford-Cambridge Connections As HS2 Builds Key East West Rail Bridge, describes the installation of a bridge to take the East West Railway goes over High Speed Two.
This picture is from High Speed Two.
As the landfill at Calvert will still need to be filled, I suspect that High Speed Two will leave the route between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway as a fully-serviceable railway, when they tidy up and leave this section of their route.
It looks to me, that once these tasks are complete.
- High Speed Two relay all the tracks between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway.
- The junction between the Aylesbury Spur and the East West Railway is completed.
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway station is updated.
The Aylesbury Spur as needed by the East West Railway to run passenger services between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central could be complete.
And all because of High Speed Two and a landfill site.
Conclusion
I am drawn to the conclusion, that the Aylesbury Spur would not be a difficult railway to build and because it links to the important interchange station at Milton Keynes Central, it could be delivered soon after High Speed Two are finished in the area.
It also appears that Avanti West Coast have already aligned their services with the East West Railway.
Do Network Rail Have A Cunning Plan To Run Battery Electric Trains To Wigan Wallgate And Blackburn?
This news story, which is entitled £72 million Boost For Train Services In Manchester And The North, was released by the government today.
This is the sub-heading.
This package will improve the passenger experience by having more reliable trains and fewer delays.
These two paragraphs describe the work.
The funding will deliver a third platform at Salford Crescent station and track improvement work across north Manchester to help reduce delays, bottlenecks and station overcrowding, meaning passengers will enjoy more comfortable and reliable journeys.
Manchester Victoria Station will also benefit from extra entry and exit points to platforms, making it easier for passengers to travel through the station during busier periods.
These are my thoughts.
Battery-Electric Trains
New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery says a lot about the capabilities of modern battery-electric multiple units.
135 km is 84 miles and if you look at services in the Wigan and Blackburn area, these are the services, currently run by diesel trains on lines without electrification.
- Blackburn and Bolton – 13.9 miles
- Blackburn and Manchester Victoria – 39.4 miles
- Hindley and Salford Crescent – 16.2 miles
- Southport and Wigan Wallgate – 17.4 miles
- Kirkby and Wigan Wallgate – 12 miles
- Clitheroe and Bolton – 23.7 miles
- Manchester Piccadilly and Buxton – 19 miles
I believe that a modern battery-electric train would be able to handle all these routes, with assistance from regenerative braking and Newton’s friend.
I also believe that CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler would be capable of building a battery-electric train for these routes.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification between Wigan and Lostock Junction.
Note.
- Wigan is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Lostock Junction is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The black and red line between Wigan and Lostock Junction indicates the track is being electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The black line going East to the South-East corner of the map is the unelectrified line to Salford Crescent via Atherton.
- At Lostock Junction the line joins the electrified Manchester and Preston Line via Bolton.
Network Rail’s layout means that trains to Kirkby, Southport and Salford Crescent via Atherton can all charge their batteries in a convenient station before embarking to their destination without electrification.
The Third Platform At Salford Crescent Station
Three platforms at Salford Crescent will give capacity advantages.
But it will also mean, that if all battery-electric trains for Wigan Wallgate via Atherton can have a dedicated platform, that if necessary, they can use to top up the batteries.
Northern’s Trans-Pennine Services
Northern Trains run four hourly trains across the Pennines.
- York and Blackpool North via Church Fenton, Garforth, Leeds, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Burnley Manchester Road, Accrington, Blackburn, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton-le-Fylde.
- Leeds and Manchester Victoria via Bramley, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale.
- Leeds and Wigan Wallgate via Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield, Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden, Walsden, Littleborough, Smithy Bridge, Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Swinton, Moorside, Walkden, Atherton, Hag Fold, Daisy Hill, Hindley and Ince.
- Leeds and Chester via Bramley, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange, Low Moor, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden, Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown and Warrington Bank Quay.
Note.
- All routes are partly electrified.
- Hebden Bridge gets four trains per hour (tph).
- Bradford Interchange, Halifax, New Pudsey Rochdale, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden and Manchester Victoria get three tph.
- It is a comprehensive set of routes serving nearly fifty stations in the North.
Stretches of line without electrification include.
- Chester and Earlstown – 23 miles
- Leeds and Manchester Victoria – 49.8 miles
- Leeds and Blackburn – 50.2 miles
- Hindley and Salford Crescent – 16.2 miles
There may be a need to electrify Blackburn and Preston or some other short sections.
Conclusion
I have a feeling that most of the diesel services in Manchester could be replaced by battery-electric trains.
Adding Rose Hill Marple And Manchester Piccadilly To The Bee Network
This article on the Railway Gazette has a list of the lines, that will be transferred between Northern Rail and the Bee Network.
Included in the list is this line.
Rose Hill Marple And Manchester Piccadilly
I think this route would be the following.
- The Eastern terminus would be Rose Hill Marple.
- The Western terminus would be Manchester Piccadilly.
- Intermediate stations would be Romiley. Woodley, Hyde Central, Hyde North, Guide Bridge, Fairfield and Gorton.
- The route is partially-electrified with 25 KVAC overhead between Hyde North and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Most of the route has a range of operating speeds, up to 90 mph.
- The distance is 13.3 miles
- Trains take 34 minutes
- Trains are often two-car Class 156 trains.
The route is the same as the current Northern Trains service.
This is my thought.
Trains
This route is a classic for battery-electric trains, as only 6.8 miles at the Marple end is not electrified.
Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains or something similar would surely do nicely.
There would be no need for charging at the Marple end.
Adding Glossop/Hadfield And Manchester Piccadilly To The Bee Network
This article on the Railway Gazette has a list of the lines, that will be transferred between Northern Rail and the Bee Network.
Included in the list is this line.
Glossop/Hadfield And Manchester Piccadilly
I think this route would be the following.
- The Eastern termini would be Glossop and Hadfield.
- The Western terminus would be Manchester Piccadilly.
- Intermediate stations would be Dinting, Broadbottom, Hattersley, Godley, Newton for Hyde, Flowery Field, Guide Bridge and Ashburys.
- The route is fully electrified with 25 KVAC overhead.
- Most of the route has a range of operating speeds. up to 75 mph.
- The distance is 14.8 miles
- Trains take 41 minutes
- Trains are often three-car Class 323 trains.
The route is the same as the current Northern Trains service.
This is my thought.
Trains
The Class 323 trains could be easily replaced with a 25 KVAC overhead version of Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains.
Adding Buxton And Manchester Piccadilly To The Bee Network
This article on the Railway Gazette has a list of the lines, that will be transferred between Northern Rail and the Bee Network.
Included in the list is this line.
Buxton And Manchester Piccadilly
I think this route would be the following.
- The Southern terminus would be Buxton.
- The Northern terminus would be Manchester Piccadilly.
- Intermediate stations would be Dove Holes, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge, Furness Vale, New Mills Newtown, Disley, Middlewood, Hazel Grove, Woodsmoor, Davenport, Stockport, Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme.
- he route is fully electrified with 25 KVAC overhead between Hazel Grove and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Most of the route has a range of operating speeds. up to 90 mph.
- The distance is 19 miles
- Trains take 62 minutes
- Trains are often two-car Class 150 trains working as a pair.
- The Buxton Line is one of the stiffest routes on the UK rail network.
The route is the same as the current Northern Trains service.
This is my thought.
Trains
I think there are three choices.
- Electrify the line fully and use 100 mph electric trains like Class 331 trains.
- Use 100 mph battery-electric trains, with large enough batteries to climb to Buxton.
- Use 100 mph hydrogen-electric trains, with enough power on hydrogen to climb to Buxton.
Note.
- The current diesel trains could be used until a zero-carbon solution is delivered.
- 100 mph trains would be needed because of the 90 mph section around Stockport.
- The stiffness of the line makes the choice difficult.
- Regenerative braking would allow trains to coast down the hill.
- Battery-electric trains would not need charging at Buxton.
I’m sure that the deal that will be setting up the Bee Network, would have a plan for the Buxton Line.
Adding Alderley Edge And Manchester Piccadilly To The Bee Network
This article on the Railway Gazette has a list of the lines, that will be transferred between Northern Rail and the Bee Network.
Included in the list is this line.
Alderley Edge And Manchester Piccadilly
I think this route would be the following.
- The Southern terminus would be Alderley Edge.
- The Northern terminus would be Manchester Piccadilly.
- Intermediate stations would be Wilmslow, Handforth, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme.
- The route is fully electrified with 25 KVAC overhead.
- Most of the route has a range of operating speeds. up to 110 mph.
- The distance is 13.6 miles
- Trains take 29 minutes
- Trains are often three-car Class 331 trains.
The route is the same as the current Northern Trains service.
This is my thought.
Trains
As the route is fully-electrified, electric trains are needed.
Any 110 mph trains would probably be ideal, to keep out of the way of the expresses.
Thoughts On High Speed Two
These are a few thoughts about High Speed Two, after the reports of major changes today.
This article on the BBC is entitled HS2 Line Between Birmingham And Crewe Delayed By Two Years.
This is the sub-heading.
The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.
These are the three opening paragraphs.
Some of the design teams working on the Euston end of the line are also understood to be affected.
Transport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said it was “committed” to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.
HS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost £33bn but is now expected to be £71bn.
Delivering The Benefits Of High Speed Two Early
It is my belief that with a large project taking a decade or more , it is not a bad idea to deliver some worthwhile benefits early on.
The Elizabeth Line opened in stages.
- The new Class 345 trains started replacing scrapyard specials in 2017.
- The rebuilt Abbey Wood station opened in 2017.
- Paddington local services were transferred to the Elizabeth Line in 2019.
- Outer stations reopened regularly after refurbishment from 2018.
- The through line opened in May 2022.
There’s still more to come.
Some projects wait until everything is ready and everybody gets fed up and annoyed.
Are there any parts of High Speed Two, that could be completed early, so that existing services will benefit?
In 2020, the refurbishment of Liverpool Lime Street station and the tracks leading to the station was completed and I wrote about the station in It’s A Privilege To Work Here!, where this was my conclusion.
Wikipedia says this about Liverpool Lime Street station.
Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world.
I’ve used Lime Street station for fifty-five years and finally, it is the station, the city needs and deserves.
I’ve been to grand termini all over the world and Lime Street may be the oldest, but now it is one of the best.
Are there any stations, that will be served by High Speed Two, that should be upgraded as soon as possible to give early benefits to passengers, staff and operators?
Avanti West Cost have solved the problem of the short platforms at Liverpool South Parkway station, by ordering shorter Class 807 trains. Will High Speed Two lengthen the platforms at this station?
A good project manager will need to get all the smaller sub-projects in a row and work out what is the best time to do each.
Digital Signalling
I would assume, as this will be needed for High Speed Two services in the West Coast Main Line to the North of Crewe, this is surely a must for installing as early as possible.
If the existing trains could run for a hundred miles at 140 mph, rather than the current 125 mph, that would save five worthwhile minutes.
Trains could run closer together and there is the possibility of organising services in flights, where a number of trains run together a safe number of minutes apart.
Remove Bottlenecks On Classic Lines, That Could Be Used By High Speed Two
I don’t know the bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line, but there are two on the East Coast Main Line, that I have talked about in the past.
Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?
Improving The North Throat Of York Station Including Skelton Bridge Junction
Hopefully, the digital signalling will solve them.
Any bottlenecks on lines that will be part of High Speed Two, should be upgraded as soon as possible.
Birmingham And Crewe
I will start by looking at the leg between Birmingham and Crewe.
This section of the HS2 map shows High Speed Two between Birmingham and Lichfield.
Note.
- The blue circle on the left at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
- The blue circle on the right at the bottom of the map is Birmingham Interchange station.
- The High Speed Two to and from London passes through Birmingham Interchange station.
- The branch to Birmingham Curzon Street station connects to the main High Speed Two at a triangular junction.
- North of the triangular junction, High Speed Two splits.
- The Eastern branch goes to East Midlands Parkway station.
- The Northern branch goes to Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.
At the top of the map, the Northern branch splits and lines are shown on this map.
Note.
- The junction where the Northern and Eastern branches divide is in the South-East corner of the map.
- To the North of Lichfield, the route divides again.
- The Northern purple line is the direct line to Crewe.
- The shorter Southern branch is a spur that connects High Speed Two to the Trent Valley Line, which is the current route taken by trains between London Euston and Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland.
- Crewe station is in the North-West corner of the map.
The route between the junction to the North of Lichfield and Crewe is essentially two double-track railways.
- High Speed Two with a routine operating speed of 205 mph.
- The Trent Valley Line with a routine operating speed of 140 mph.
- High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains can run on all tracks.
- High Speed Two Full-Size trains may be able to run on the Trent Valley Line at reduced speed.
- Eighteen trains per hour (tph) is the maximum frequency of High Speed Two.
I feel in an emergency, trains will be able to use the other route.
Will This Track Layout Allow An Innovative Build?
Suppose the link to the Trent Valley Line was built first, so that High Speed Two trains from London for Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Scotland, could transfer to the Trent Valley Line as they do now.
- All lines used by High Speed Two services North of the junction, where High Speed Two joins the Trent Valley Line would be updated with digital signalling and 140 mph running. This will benefit current services on the line. For instance Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services could be under two hours.
- The current services would be replaced by High Speed Two services run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- The direct High Speed Two route between Lichfield and Crewe would now be built.
- When this section of High Speed Two is complete, High Speed Two services would use it between Lichfield and Crewe.
- As the direct route would be built later, this would delay the building of the Birmingham and Crewe high-speed route.
Currently, trains run the 41.8 miles between Lichfield and Crewe in 28 minutes, which is an average speed of 89.6 mph.
I can build a table of average speeds and times for Lichfield and Crewe.
- 100 mph – 25.1 minutes – 2.9 minutes saving
- 110 mph – 22.8 minutes – 5.2 minutes saving
- 120 mph – 20.9 minutes – 7.1 minutes saving
- 125 mph – 20.1 minutes – 7.9 minutes saving
- 130 mph – 19.3 minutes – 8.7 minutes saving
- 140 mph – 17.9 minutes – 10.1 minutes saving
- 160 mph – 15.7 minutes – 12.3 minutes saving
- 180 mph – 13.9 minutes – 14.1 minutes saving
- 200 mph – 12.5 minutes – 15.5 minutes saving
Note.
- Even a slight increase in average speed creates several minutes saving.
- Times apply for both routes.
I believe that a 125 mph average should be possible on the Trent Valley route, which may be enough for Euston and Liverpool/Manchester services to be under two hours.
Improving Classic Lines Used By High Speed Two North Of Lichfield
Real Time Trains shows these figures for a Glasgow Central to Euston service.
- Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley is 298.2 miles.
- Glasgow and Lichfield Trent Valley takes five hours.
This is an average speed of 59.6 mph.
Note.
- The average speed is low considering the trains are capable of cruising at 125 mph and 140 mph with digital signalling.
- High Speed Two services between Euston and Glasgow will use the classic network, to the North of Lichfield.
I can build a table of average speeds and times for Glasgow and Lichfield.
- 100 mph – 179 minutes – 121 minutes saving
- 110 mph – 163 minutes – 157 minutes saving
- 120 mph – 149 minutes – 151 minutes saving
- 125 mph – 143 minutes – 157 minutes saving
- 130 mph – 138 minutes – 162 minutes saving
- 140 mph – 128 minutes – 172 minutes saving
This table illustrates why it is important to improve all or as many as possible of classic lines used by High Speed Two to enable 140 mph running, with full digital signalling. Obviously, if 140 mph is not feasible, the speed should be increased to the highest possible.
Routes that could be updated include.
- London Euston and Glasgow Central
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly (all routes)
- London Euston and Blackpool
- London Euston and Holyhead
- London Euston and Shrewsbury
Not all these routes will be served by High Speed Two, but they could be served by 140 mph trains.
What Times Would Be Possible?
The InterCity 225 was British Rail’s ultimate electric train and these two paragraphs from its Wikipedia entry, describe its performance.
The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991. British regulations have since required in-cab signalling on any train running at speeds above 125 mph (201 km/h) preventing such speeds from being legally attained in regular service. Thus, except on High Speed 1, which is equipped with cab signalling, British signalling does not allow any train, including the InterCity 225, to exceed 125 mph (201 km/h) in regular service, due to the impracticality of correctly observing lineside signals at high speed.
The InterCity 225 has also operated on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). In April 1992, one trainset achieved a new speed record of two hours, eight minutes between Manchester and London Euston, shaving 11 minutes off the 1966 record. During 1993, trials were operated to Liverpool and Manchester in connection with the InterCity 250 project.
- The fastest London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly services appear to be two hours and six minutes tomorrow, with stops at Nuneaton and Stoke-on-Trent.
- The fastest London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service is four hours seventeen minutes tomorrow.
It does appear that British Rail’s 1980s-vintage InterCity 225 train did very well.
Trains that would be able to run at 140 mph with updated signalling include.
- Alstom Class 390
- Hitachi Class 800, 801, 802, 803, 805, 807 and 810
- British Rail InterCity 225
- High Speed Two Classic-Compatible.
All are electric trains.
Could High Speed Two, West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line Services Be Run By High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains?
I don’t see why not!
- They would be able to use short stretches of High Speed Line like Lichfield and Crewe.
- LNER and CrossCountry could also use the trains.
- High Speed Two is providing the framework and it’s there to be used, provided the paths are available.
This graphic shows the preliminary schedule.
It only shows ten trains going through Crewe, so there could be up to eight spare high speed paths between Birmingham and Crewe.
Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The East Coast Main Line?
I published this extract from the Wikipedia entry for the InterCity 225 earlier.
The InterCity 225 was designed to achieve a peak service speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); during a test run in 1989 on Stoke Bank between Peterborough and Grantham, an InterCity 225 was recorded at a speed of 162 mph (260.7 km/h). Its high speed capabilities were again demonstrated via a 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991.
The London and Edinburgh run was at an average speed of around 112 mph.
I wonder what time, one of LNER’s Class 801 trains, that are all-electric could do, once the new digital signalling has been fully installed on the route? I suspect it would be close to three hours, but it would depend on how long the trains could run at 140 mph.
It should be noted that the Selby Diversion was designed for 160 mph, when it was built by British Rail in the 1980s.
In Are Short Lengths Of High Speed Line A Good Idea?, I look at the mathematics of putting in short lengths of new railway, which have higher speeds, where this was part of my conclusion.
I very much feel there is scope to create some new high speed sections on the current UK network, with only building very little outside of the current land used by the network.
I would love to know what some of Network Rail’s track experts feel is the fastest time possible between London and Edinburgh that can be achieved, by selective upgrading of the route.
If some of the trains were High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, with a top speed of 205 mph, provided the track allowed it, there could be some interesting mathematics balancing the costs of track upgrades, new trains with what passengers and operators need in terms of journey times.
Could High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains Be Used To Advantage On The West Coast Main Line?
Much of what I said about the East Coast Main Line would apply to the West Coast Main Line.
But in addition, the West Coast Main Line will be a superb place to test the new High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
I believe, that before High Speed Two opens, we’ll see High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, carrying passengers between Euston and Avanti West Coast’s destinations.
Could High Speed Two Be Split Into Two?
Consider.
- Under earlier plans, the East Coast Main Line to the North of York, will be used by High Speed Two.
- With digital signalling the East Coast Main Line will support continuous running at 140 mph for long sections of the route.
- The East Coast Main Line has a recently-rebuilt large Southern terminal at King’s Cross with eleven platforms and good suburban services and excellent connections to the London Underground.
- The East Coast Main Line has a very large Northern terminal at Edinburgh Waverley with twenty platforms and good local train connections.
- There are large intermediate stations on the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough and York. All these stations have good local train connections.
- The East Coast Main Line has important branches to Cambridge, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull King’s Lynn, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Scarborough, Sheffield, Skegness and Sunderland.
We are talking about an asset, that needs improving rather than sidelining.
Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?
Over three years ago, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project? and tried to answer the question in the title.
But now the core network is better defined, perhaps it is time to look at extending the High Speed network again.
The next few sections look at possible extensions.
Serving Chester And North Wales
I looked at this in Could High Speed Two Trains Serve Chester And North Wales?, which I have updated recently.
This was my conclusion.
It looks to me, that when High Speed Two, think about adding extra destinations, Chester and Holyhead could be on the list.
I also suspect that even without electrification and High Speed Two services, but with the new Class 805 trains, the route could be a valuable one for Avanti West Coast.
These are current and promised times for the two legs to Holyhead.
- Euston and Crewe – 90 minutes – Fastest Class 390 train
- Euston and Crewe – 55 minutes – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train from Wikipedia
- Crewe and Holyhead – 131 minutes – Fastest Class 221 train
- Crewe and Holyhead – 70 minutes – 90 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 63 minutes – 100 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 57 minutes – 110 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 53 minutes – 120 mph average speed
- Crewe and Holyhead – 45 minutes – 140 mph average speed
Note.
- I have assumed that Crewe and Holyhead is 105.5 miles.
- The operating speed of the North Wales Coast Line is 90 mph.
- In the following estimates, I have assumed a change of train at Crewe, takes 6 minutes.
I think there are several options to run fast services to Chester and North Wales.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- The fastest Class 221 train between Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 3 hours 41 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and some track improvement
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 110 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 27 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead uprated largely to 125 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 120 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 23 minutes.
Pre-HS2 – Class 805 all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest Class 390 train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 2 hours 15 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- The fastest Class 221 train between Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 3 hours 12 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and some track improvement
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 110 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 58 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, the Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead uprated largely to 125 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 120 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 54 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe, Class 805 train to Holyhead, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 46 minutes.
After-HS2 – High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train all the way, but with perhaps less stops and Crewe and Holyhead electrified and uprated to 140 mph
I believe this train will match the following.
- The fastest High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train between Euston and Crewe.
- 140 mph train Crewe and Holyhead.
This would give a time of 1 hours 40 minutes.
From these estimates, I have come to these conclusions.
- A sub-two and a half-hour service can be attained with the new Class 805 trains and some improvements to the tracks along the North Wales Coast Line.
- A sub-two hour service can be attained with a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train to Crewe and a Class 805 train to Hplyhead along a 140 mph electrified North Wales Coast Line.
- If the North Wales Coast Line is electrified, the journey from London Euston, Birmingham Interchange, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester would be zero-carbon.
We should be looking to building a zero-carbon fast passenger ferry for sailing between Holyhead and Dublin.
- The current fastest ferries appear to take three hours and 15 minutes, which means that a six-hour low-carbon journey between London Euston and Dublin, should be possible with the new Class 805 trains, prior to the opening of High Speed Two.
- A five-hour journey after the opening of High Speed Two to Crewe and electrification of the North Wales Coast Line should be possible.
If the advanced zero-carbon ferry could knock an hour off the journey, four hours between London and Dublin along a spectacular coastal railway with a fast sea voyage, would be a route that would attract passengers.
- High Speed Two would need to be opened to Crewe.
- The North Wales Coast Line would need to be upgraded to a 140 mph digitally-signalled line.
- The North Wales Coast Line would need to be electrified.
- Full electrification may not be needed, as discontinuous electrification will have advanced to provide zero-carbon running, in a more affordable and less disruptive manner.
- Trains could either be High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains all the way from London or there could be a change at Crewe to Class 805 trains.
- The ferry would use the best zero-carbon and operational technology.
The improvement and electrification of the North Wales Coast Line could be planned to take place in a relaxed manner, so that journey times continuously got quicker.
I would start the improvement of the North Wales Coast Line, as soon as possible, as all these improvement will be used to advantage by the new Class 805 trains.
Serving West And South West England And South Wales
Suppose you want to go between Glasgow and Cardiff by train, after High Speed Two has opened.
- You will take one of the half-hourly High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains between Glasgow Central and London.
- Three and a half-hours later, you will get off the train in one of the below ground platforms at Old Oak Common station.
- A short ride in an escalator or lift and you will be in the Great Western Railway station at ground level.
- From here, fifty minutes later, you will be in Cardiff.
The journey will have taken four hours and twenty minutes.
This may seem a long time but currently Glasgow and Cardiff by train takes over seven hours by train.
- Glasgow and Bristol Temple Meads takes eight hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 5 hours.
- Glasgow and Cheltenham Spa takes six hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 5 hours and 30 minutes.
- Glasgow and Penzance takes twelve hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 8 hours and 33 minutes.
- Glasgow and Swansea takes nearly nine hours, but using High Speed Two and GWR will take 6 hours and 9 minutes.
The High Speed Two route only has one simple change, whereas some routes now have up to four changes.
Conclusion
A Heavy Load From Felixstowe To Manchester
As I waited for my train at Canonbury station this morning, this very long train went through.
After I got home, I found that it was going from the Port of Felixstowe to Trafford Park Freightliner Terminal.
The journey will take around nine-and-a-half hours.
- This time includes a sixty-five minute stop at Ipswich to change the diesel locomotive or locomotives used to haul the train out of the Port of Felixstowe for the pair of Class 90 electric locomotives for the rest of the journey to the North-West.
- The two locomotives together have a power output of about 7.5 MW.
- The train will pick up the West Coast Main Line at Primrose Hill and then take the Trent Valley Line between Rugby and Stafford before approaching Trafford Park, using the Castlefield Corridor through Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations.
- As I write this, the train is on time as it approaches Tamworth.
The train has done well as at Watford, it was running twenty minutes late. The train crew have used the 7.5 MW well to claw back the time.
Did it help the crew to regain the schedule, that they had 7.5 MW on hand, as opposed to the less than 3 MW from the UK’s largest diesel locomotive?
To my mind, this illustrates one of the reasons, why long distance trains are best run by powerful electric locomotives.
In Do Cummins And Stadler Have a Cunning Plan?, I describe the new Class 99 locomotive.
- It is an electro-diesel locomotive.
- It has 6 MW available on 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- It has a 1.8 MW Cummins diesel engine, which may be powerful enough to haul the largest trains in and out of the Port of Felixstowe, where the route is not electrified.
Thirty of these locomotives have been ordered by GB Railfreight.
I believe that one of these locomotives could handle a very heavy freight train between the Port of Felixstowe and Trafford Park Freightliner Terminal.
- The locomotive working alone could handle the train on the unelectrified line between Felixstowe and Ipswich.
- There would be no need to electrify the lines in the Port of Felixstowe.
- There would be no need for a prolonged stop in Ipswich.
- An hour on the journey could be saved.
- There might be a saving in the number of crew.
The Class 99 locomotive seems to be well-designed for handling freight trains out of Felixstowe.
Were Freightliner experimenting with what they needed from an electro-diesel locomotive, when I took this picture at Shenfield?
Note.
- The Class 90 electric locomotive has 3.7 MW of power.
- The Class 66 diesel locomotive has 2.4 MW of power.
Was what I saw an affordable electro-diesel locomotive?
Heritage Train Company Launches First Class Service In Competition With Avanti West Coast
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Business Live.
These are the two introductory paragraphs.
A heritage train company is launching a charter service between London and the North West to help passengers frustrated by Avanti West Coast’s severe disruption.
Crewe-based Locomotive Services Group will begin operating a first class-only charter service to and from London Euston on Friday.
These are more details of the service.
The train’s air-conditioned carriages are restored British Rail Mark 3 stock with three-abreast seating, tables, power points and large windows.
The service will only operate on Fridays for the next three weeks, and will run at 110mph using electric locomotives.
It will depart from Crewe at 2.29pm, running non-stop to arrive at London Euston at 4.12pm.
The train will set off to return north at 5.27pm, calling at Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Wilmslow before arriving at Manchester Piccadilly at 8.45pm.
I have a feeling that the Mark 3 coaches, were acquired from Greater Anglia.
Locomotive Services Group, also owns a couple of main-line registered Class 90 locomotives.
I am seriously, thinking of taking one of their trips.
I can travel in Mark 3 and Mark 4 coaches, all Stadler and Hitachi trains, but if I travel in a Class 390 train, the air-conditioning plays havoc with my body.
Avanti West Coast can’t put Class 807 trains on London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street. too soon for me!
Could We See Between London And Much Of The North By Train In Under Two Hours?
I shall write about each route in order starting from Euston and working East.
Avanti West Coast And Euston
These are services from Euston, that I feel could be under two hours.
London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street
On Thursday, I went to Liverpool by train.
- My train took two hours and thirteen minutes between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street stations.
- There were stops at Stafford, Crewe and Runcorn.
- The Class 390 train was travelling at 125 mph for a lot of the way.
- The distance between the two terminals is 193.6 miles.
- The start to stop average including the stops was 87.3 mph.
So could London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street be achieved in the magic two hours?
A few thoughts.
Average Speed
To do the journey in this time would need an average speed of 96.8 mph.
Accelerating And Stopping
Ideally, the train will run as fast as it can only changing speed for the station stops.
- The train will accelerate from stop to cruising speed at Euston, Stafford, Crewe and Runcorn or four times.
- The train will decelerate from cruising speed to stop at Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street or four times.
Effectively, the train goes through four complete station stops, although one will be split between the two ends of the journey.
These figures are from Wikipedia and the Internet
- The acceleration of the Class 390 train is 1.0 mph/sec which means that it takes 125 seconds to get to 125 mph.
- The deceleration of a Class 390 train is 2.0 mph/sec, which means that it takes 63 seconds to stop from 125 mph.
- The acceleration of a Class 801 train is 1.6 mph/sec which means that it takes 78 seconds to get to 125 mph.
- The deceleration of a Class 801 train is 2.2 mph/sec, which means that it takes 57 seconds to stop from 125 mph.
These figures would appear to show, that a Class 801 train can decelerate and accelerate at a stop in nearly a minute faster than a Class 390 train.
So how can we increase the acceleration and deceleration? The two obvious ways are more power and less weight.
Form the Internet, I estimate that the average car in a Class 390 train is around 52 tonnes, as opposed to 41 tonnes for the Hitachi trains.
So does this weight difference explain some of the difference in acceleration and deceleration times?
Consider.
- The Class 390 trains have all the extra weight of the tilt mechanism. More weight means slower acceleration.
- Avanti West Coast’s new Class 807 trains have no diesel engines or batteries. Have the trains been put on a diet?
- They also have a reprofiled nose. Is it more aerodynamic?
So if these trains can save time on the four accelerate/decelerate cycles compared to the Class 390 trains, they must be getting nearer to the magic two hours.
If two minutes a stop can be saved that would save eight minutes on the journey between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street.
140 Mph Running
The time to do a mile at various speeds are as follows.
- 100 mph – 36 seconds
- 125 mph – 29 seconds
- 140 mph – 26 seconds
So running at 140 mph, as opposed to the current 125 mph would save three seconds for every mile.
To save five minutes would mean the train would have to run for a hundred miles at 140 mph instead of 125 mph.
As Stafford is 133.5 miles from London, it could be that full digital signalling should be installed on the West Coast Main Line all the way to Stafford or even Crewe, which is 158 miles from London.
This schematic map of the West Coast Main Line was clipped from Wikipedia.
Note.
- Trains between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street take the Trent Valley Line through Nuneaton and Lichfield Trent Valley and stop at Stafford, Crewe and Runcorn.
- Trains between London Euston and Manchester take a variety of routes and all go via Stockport.
- One train per hour (tph) between London Euston and Glasgow Central takes the Trent Valley Line and goes non-stop between London Euston and Warrington Central.
- Norton Bridge Junction just to the North of Stafford has recently been remodelled.
I believe there is potential to enable up to at least a hundred miles of 140 mph running to the South of Crewe. Especially as most of the track South of Crewe is quadruple track.
This should enable the shaving of five or more minutes off the time of any train capable of 140 mph running that uses the Trent Valley Line through Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley and Stafford.
Norton Bridge Junction
Norton Bridge junction, which is five miles North used to be a bottleneck, but it has now been remodelled.
I wrote about it in The New Norton Bridge Junction In Action.
The new junction has probably been designed so that it can save a few seconds for trains going between Stafford and Crewe, whether or not they stop at either or both stations.
Non-Stop Between London Euston and Runcorn
If you look at the times of a London Euston and Glasgow Central train via the Trent Valley Line , it travels the 174.7 miles between London Euston and Weaver Junction non-stop in one hour and forty minutes. This is an average speed of 104.8 mph.
By comparison, my train on Thursday took one hour and forty-seven minutes with the two stops at Stafford and Crewe.
So there is at least six minutes to be saved by going non-stop.
Two Trains Per Hour Between London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street
Wikipedia says this about an additional service.
Subject to approval by the Office of Rail and Road, an additional hourly service will be introduced between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street with a stop at Liverpool South Parkway from December 2022.
I have a few thoughts and questions on extra services between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street,
- In my view the second service is much needed.
- I also think, that a later train back to London is needed.
- Does the Wikipedia statement mean that only one train will stop at Liverpool South Parkway?
- Does Runcorn need two tph to and from London?
- Would the platforms at Liverpool South Parkway be lengthened to accept eleven-car Class 390 trains?
I feel that if a train stopped at both Liverpool South Parkway and Runcorn, this would make a two-hour journey more difficult to achieve.
London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street In Two Hours
The new Class 807 trains will be delivered by 2022. Because of the pandemic, I’ll assume that of the ten trains on order, some, but not all, will be available by the December 2022 timetable change.
The time savings needed for a two-hour journey will come from four improvements.
- The increased performance of the Class 807 trains.
- Full digital signalling South of Crewe.
- The track improvements already completed like Norton Bridge Junction.
- Cutting out stop on the second service.
There may also be time savings to be obtained at the intermediate stops, by better working practices.
I doubt that the full digital signalling will have been installed, but all trains will be capable of 125 mph running.
Avanti West Coast probably have a good idea of the time they could achieve without digital signalling and I feel that they could be about five minutes over two hours with the Class 807 trains.
As the eleven-car Class 390 trains are too long for Liverpool South Parkway station, could we see the following service?
- 1 tph – Class 390 train – London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street via Runcorn, Crewe and Stafford.
- 1 tph – Class 807 train – London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street via Liverpool South Parkway.
Note.
- The Class 390 train would run the existing timetable in two hours and thirteen minutes.
- The Class 807 train would be a two-hour express service if possible.
- Going from three stops to one could save the express at least seven minutes, as I showed earlier by looking at train timings South of Weaver Junction.
- There would be time savings of at least two minutes on the express service due to the better performance of the Class 807 train.
To save the final four minutes, there would need to be at least eighty miles of 140 mph running, as each mile saves three seconds.
I am fairly certain, that London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street can be regularly achieved in two hours.
London Euston And Warrington Bank Quay
The hourly London Euston and Glasgow Central expresses seem to take one hour and forty-five minutes for the non-stop trip of 182.1 miles, which is an average speed of 104 mph.
As this service is non-stop, I believe that this service would get the maximum benefit from digital signalling and this service will only get faster, as more and more of the route allowed 140 mph-running.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see almost ten minutes lopped off this service by signalling and other improvements.
I am fairly certain, that London Euston and Warrington Bank Quay can be regularly achieved in well under two hours, by a Class 390 train.
London Euston And Wigan North Western
The hourly London Euston and Glasgow Central expresses seem to take one hour and fifty-six minutes for the single-stop trip of 193.9 miles, which is an average speed of 100.3 mph.
As this service just a single stop at Warrington Bank Quay, I believe that this service would get the maximum benefit from digital signalling and this service will only get faster, as more and more of the route allowed 140 mph-running.
As with Warrington Bank Quay, I wouldn’t be surprised to see almost ten minutes lopped off this service by signalling and other improvements.
I am fairly certain, that London Euston and Wigan North Western can be regularly achieved in comfortably under two hours, by a Class 390 train.
London Euston And Preston
The hourly London Euston and Glasgow Central expresses seem to take two hours and eleven minutes for the two -stop trip of 209 miles, which is an average speed of 95.7 mph.
As this service just stops at Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western, I believe that this service would get the maximum benefit from digital signalling and this service will only get faster, as more and more of the route allowed 140 mph-running.
As with Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western, I wouldn’t be surprised to see almost ten minutes lopped off this service by signalling and other improvements.
I am fairly certain, that London Euston and Preston can be regularly achieved in just under two hours, by a Class 390 train.
London Euston And Blackpool North
Avanti West Coast have indicated that their new Class 807 trains will run between London Euston and Blackpool North.
Consider.
- I am fairly certain that a Class 390 train will be able to run between London Euston and Preston in under two hours, once digital signalling is installed South of Crewe.
- Currently, Class 390 trains take twenty minutes between Preston and Blackpool North stations.
- The Class 807 trains have better acceleration and deceleration and should be able to execute faster stops than the Class 390 trains.
I wonder if Avanti West Coast, Hitachi, Network Rail and Rock Rail have thought up a cunning plan to run Class 807 trains between London Euston And Blackpool North, in under two hours.
Trains would go via the Trent Valley.
Trains might only stop at perhaps Milton Keynes Central, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.
Trains would run at up to 140 mph using digital signalling, in as many places as possible.
Is the performance of the Class 807 trains sufficient to achieve London Euston and Blackpool North in under two hours via the Trent Valley?
London Euston And Manchester Piccadilly via Wilmslow
Consider.
- Most trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Wilmslow seem to take around six or seven minutes over two hours.
- I believe that if the 158 miles between London Euston and Crewe were to be digitally signalled, then this could save up to eight minutes by allowing trains to run at 140 mph rather than the current 125 mph.
This could be enough to bring the London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Wilmslow below two hours.
I am not surprised at this, as the trains were built for 140 mph and because there is no digital signalling, they are limited to 125 mph, which slows the trains by six or seven minutes.
London Euston And Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent
Everything I said about trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Wilmslow probably apply, except that the services via Stoke-on-Trent are a few minutes slower.
But I do feel, that this could be enough to bring the London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent below two hours.
East Midlands Railway And St. Pancras
These is only one service from St. Pancras, that is not comfortably under two hours.
London St. Pancras And Sheffield
A typical service between London St. Pancras And Sheffield takes a few minutes over two hours..
- There are two tph
- There are stops at Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Long Eaton, Derby or Chesterfield depending on the service.
- The Class 222 trains travel at 125 mph for most of the way.
- The distance between the two terminals is 164.7 miles.
- The start to stop average including the stops is 81 mph.
I would suspect that East Midlands Railway’s new bi-mode Class 810 trains will be able to easily break the two-hour barrier.
- They have four diesel engines so they can cruise at 125 mph on diesel.
- They have electric power for South of Market Harborough.
- Some diesel engines will be changed for batteries.
As electrification increases on the Midland Main Line, these trains will use less and less diesel.
I also suspect that digital signalling will start to creep into the route, starting from Bedford, where it is used on Thameslink.
LNER And King’s Cross
These are services from King’s Cross, that are or I feel will be under two hours.
London King’s Cross And Doncaster
A typical service between London King’s Cross And Doncaster takes around one hour and thirty-seven minutes.
- There are four tph
- There are stops at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark and Retford depending on the service.
- The Class 80x trains travel at 125 mph for most of the way.
- The distance between the two stations is 156 miles.
- The start to stop average including the stops is 96.5 mph.
Digital signaling is being installed on this section of the East Coast Main Line and I suspect that this will reduce timings between London King’s Cross And Doncaster.
A simple estimate based on the maximum operating speed, indicates a time of one hour and twenty-six minutes should be possible.
But as a Control Engineer, I believe that digital signalling will lead to faster running over the Digswell Viaduct and through the flat crossing at Newark.
The timing will certainly be under one hour and thirty minutes between London King’s Cross And Doncaster.
London King’s Cross And York
A typical service between London King’s Cross And York takes around one hour and forty-eight minutes.
- There are two tph
- There are stops at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark, Retford and Doncaster depending on the service.
- The Class 80x trains travel at 125 mph for most of the way.
- The distance between the two stations is 188.5 miles.
- A non-stop service takes one hour and fifty-two minutes, which is a start to stop average including the stops is 101 mph.
If my crude estimate of time savings because of digital signalling South of Doncaster can be applied, this would imply a reduction in journey time of at least eleven minutes.
London King’s Cross And Leeds
A typical service between London King’s Cross And Leeds takes around two hours and thirteen minutes.
- There are three tph
- There are stops at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark, Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate depending on the service.
- The Class 80x trains travel at 125 mph for most of the way.
- The distance between the two terminals is 185.9 miles.
- This is a start to stop average including the stops is 83.9 mph.
If my crude estimate of time savings because of digital signalling South of Doncaster can be applied, this would imply a reduction in journey time of at least eleven minutes, which would put a time between London King’s Cross and Leeds of around two hours.
London King’s Cross And Bradford Forster Square
LNER run some services on this route
- The services take thirty minutes between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square stations.
- The services do not reverse at Leeds.
Given that two hours should be possible between London Kings Cross and Leeds, it would appear that two hours and thirty minutes should be possible between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square stations.
London King’s Cross And Bradford Interchange
Grand Central run some services on this route
- The services call at Doncaster, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse and Low Moor
- The services take two hours and fifty-four minutes between London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange stations.
- The services take one hour and seventeen minutes between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange stations.
The services are run by Class 180 diesel trains, which will have to be replaced to decarbonise the route.
I suspect that Hitachi will have a train for this route, that could use diesel or batteries to the North of Doncaster.
- My estimate for the best time between King’s Cross and Doncaster is one hour and twenty-six minutes.
- The current time between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange stations is one hour and seventeen minutes.
This gives a best time of perhaps two hours and forty-three minutes between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange stations.
The route to Bradford via Leeds is perhaps fifteen minutes faster, but it serves different stations.
London King’s Cross And Harrogate
LNER has been running to Harrogate for some time.
- There is one train per two hours (tp2h)
- The service calls at Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds.
- some services reverse at Leeds.
- The service takes two hours and fifty-five minutes between London King’s Cross and Harrogate stations.
- The service takes thirty minutes between Leeds and Harrogate stations.
Given that two hours should be possible between London Kings Cross and Leeds, it would appear that two hours and thirty minutes could be possible between London King’s Cross and Harrogate stations.
London King’s Cross And Huddersfield
In LNER Expands To Huddersfield, I described LNER’s new service to Huddersfield.
- There will be one train per day (tpd)
- The service will call at Peterborough, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Dewsbury.
- The service will split and join with the London King’s Cross and Skipton service at Leeds.
- The service will reverse at Leeds.
- The service take two hours and fifty-five minutes between London King’s Cross and Huddersfield stations.
- The service will take twenty-five minutes between Leeds and Huddersfield stations.
- Improvements are planned, which include electrification, between Dewsbury and Huddersfield
Given that two hours should be possible between London Kings Cross and Leeds, it would appear that two hours and thirty minutes could be possible between London King’s Cross and Huddersfield stations.
London King’s Cross And Hull
The fastest Hull Trains service between London King’s Cross And Hull takes around two hours and thirty minutes.
- There are seven tpd
- There are stops at Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough depending on the service.
- The Class 80x trains travel at 125 mph for most of the way.
- The distance between the two terminals is 205.3 miles.
- This is a start to stop average including the stops is 82.1 mph.
If my crude estimate of time savings because of digital signalling South of Doncaster can be applied, this would imply a reduction in journey time of at least eleven minutes, which would put a time between London King’s Cross and Hull of around two hours and twenty minutes.
London King’s Cross And Middlesbrough
LNER have announced a Middlesbrough service, which I wrote about in LNER’s Middlesbrough And London Service. Starts On December 13th.
- There will be one tpd in both directions
- Intermediate stops will be at Thornaby and York.
- The Middlesbrough and London service will leave Middlesbrough from Platform 1 at 07:08 and arrive in King’s Cross at 10:22.
- The London and Middlesbrough service will leave King’s Cross at 15:25 and arrive in Middlesbrough in Platform 2 at 18:18.
There appear to be some curiosities in the timetabling of these trains, which I may explore later.
I would assume that is because LNER want a competitive time of three hours between King’s Cross and Middlesbrough.
These are Southbound times between Eaglescliffe and King’s Cross in the morning.
- Grand Central – Two hours and thirty-nine minutes
- LNER – Three hours and two minutes
Is this because the Class 180 train is a genuine 125 mph train on diesel and the Class 800 train is not?
If my crude estimate of time savings because of digital signalling South of Doncaster can be applied, this would imply a reduction in journey time of at least eleven minutes, which would put a time between London King’s Cross and Middlesbrough of around three hours.
Conclusion
Of the cities and towns in the North, that I have discussed only Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull and Middlesbrough, are ones that will be difficult to be provided with a two-hour journey time to and from London. But all should be possible in close to or under two hours and thirty minutes.
The Anonymous Widower 