The Anonymous Widower

East-West Rail: Electrification

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, says this about electrification.

As of March 2020, electrification of the line is not planned, but the 2019 decision (to rule it out) is under review.

But I don’t think it’s a simple decision of electrify or not!

These observations are guiding my thoughts.

Milton Keynes Central Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The short platform is Platform 2A, which can take a five-car train and was built recently to terminate the Marston Vale Line service.
  3. Could Platform 2A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Milton Keynes station?

The Wikipedia entry for Milton KeynesCentral station, has a section called Platforms and Layout, which gives full details.

Bletchley Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Bletchley station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The wide swath of red going North is the West Coast Main Line.
  3. The smaller patch of red to the East of the West Coast Main Line are electrified sidings.
  4. All low-level platforms at Bletchley station are electrified.
  5. The viaduct platforms, are shown in black as they are not electrified.
  6. A non-electrified line leads North-West from the viaduct towards Milton Keynes Central.
  7. The Milton Keynes end of the line between Milton Keynes Central station and the viaduct is electrified.
  8. A non-electrified line leads North-East from the viaduct towards Fenny Stratford and Bedford.

The Google Map shows a 3D visualisation of Bletchley station.

I can’t see much sign of any electrification.

Bedford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Bedford station.

Note.

  1. All platforms at Bedford station are electrified.
  2. The lines to the West of the station are the electrified Midland Main Line.
  3. The Marston Vale Line services terminate in the short Platform 1A, which is the South-East corner of the station.
  4. The track into Platform 1A is electrified for about two hundred metres, through the sidings South of the station.

This picture shows the electrified track as it crosses over the river.

Could Platform 1A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Bedford station?

It’s odd that there is the same platform layout at both ends of the Marston Vale Line.

Is it just a coincidence or does Engineer Baldrick have a cunning Plan?

Oxford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The dotted red and black tracks, indicate electrification is planned.
  2. The planned electrification will connect Oxford station to Didcot Junction station.
  3. The two bay platforms at the North of the station are not electrified and Platform 2 is now used by Chiltern’s London services.
  4. Platform 1 could be used by trains on the East West Railway that terminate at Oxford.

When Oxford station is electrified, it wouldn’t be the largest project to add 25 KVAC overhead electrification to the two bay platforms.

Aylesbury Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the lack of electrification around Aylesbury station.

Note.

  1. No tracks are electrified.
  2. Platforms are numbered 3, 2, 1 from the top, so 2 and 3 are paired in the middle.
  3. All freight trains go through Platform 2 and most seem to go via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe.
  4. Chiltern services use Platforms 1 and 3.

Putting a charging system in Aylesbury station could be tricky.

I wonder if the simplest system for East West Railway would be to electrify between Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations.

Chiltern Railway’s time between the two stations is as much as seven minutes.

Some trains to Aylesbury take over twenty minutes to do the short journey to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return, which is more than enough to fully-charge a battery-electric train.

You can even have Chiltern’s hourly Aylesbury Parkway service, sharing the same stretch of electrification with East West Railway’s Aylesbury service, as there is a loop, which creates double-track for some of the way.

It should be noted that between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations is only 41.1 miles, so some battery-electric trains could do that with a full charge at one end.

East West Railway Distances

In Trains Needed For The East West Railway, I calculated some of these distances.

  • Oxford and Bedford – 46.8 miles
  • Oxford and Milton Keynes – 33.4 miles
  • Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 25.9 miles

With charging at both ends, all of these routes are possible using modern battery-electric trains, where even a Class 777 IPEMU, designed for extending Merseyrail’s suburban network has done 84 miles on one charge.

On To Cambridge

In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, these services are suggested, for when the East West Railway is complete.

  • An hourly train via Norwich terminating at Great Yarmouth.
  • An hourly train via Ipswich terminating at Manningtree.

These are distances on these routes that are not electrified, that are to the East of Cambridge.

  • Ely and Norwich – 53.7 miles
  • Norwich and Great Yarmouth – 18.3 miles
  • Cambridge and Haughley Junction – 40.3 miles

Note.

  1. The Manningtree service would be able to charge its batteries after passing Haughley junction going East and it would be nearly an hour before it needed to use the battery for traction.
  2. If the Yarmouth service could handle the full route on batteries, then it could return to Cambridge with an efficient charger at Great Yarmouth, which for 25 KVAC overhead electrification trains is an off the shelf item.
  3. But it does look to me that the trains must leave Cambridge with full batteries, so they can reach electrification at Bedford, Haughley or Norwich.

This map shows the route of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge.

Note.

  1. Bedford is on the electrified Midland Main Line to London.
  2. Tempsford is on the electrified East Coast Main Line to London.
  3. Cambridge has two electrified main lines to London.
  4. These connections should ensure a good power supply to the East of Bedford for electrification.

I suspect the easiest option will be to add some more electrification at one or more of these places.

  • At the Eastern end of the Bedford and Cambridge section.
  • To the West of Haughley junction, when it is rebuilt.
  • To the North of Ely, when the railways in that area are improved.

Although, as it will be a new route, it might be best to build Bedford and Cambridge as an electrified railway.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

East-West Rail: Along The Marston Vale Line

For the initial phase of the East West Railway, it doesn’t appear that the Marston Vale Line will be improved.

As I write this, I have not heard of any improvements between Bedford and Bletchley.

Perhaps, with all the arguments about the section of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge, the Government, Network Rail and the East West Railway feel that the best approach, is to do what they can with the existing track layout and the rebuilt viaduct at Bletchley.

These are my thoughts.

The Capacity Of The Marston Vale Line

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, this is said about the infrastructure of the line.

Apart from a short length of single track at both ends, the line is double track, and is not electrified. It has a loading gauge of W8 and a line speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The line’s signalling centre is at Ridgmont.

The line has a length of only 16.5 miles.

I believe with modern signalling and well-trained drivers, that the line could accommodate at least two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.

At its simplest every half hour, a train would leave both end stations and the two trains would pass each other on the long double-track section in the middle.

Proposed Train Services

Train services on the East West Railway will be as follows, when it opens between Oxford and Milton Keynes and Bedford, are proposed to be as follows.

  • 2 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley
  • 1 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont
  • 1 tph – West Midlands Trains – Bletchley and Bedford via Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns

If the East West Railway uses the Marston Vale Line between Bletchley and Bedford, then there will be two tph along the Marston Vale Line.

I believe that if the Marston Vale Line is not improved until later, then the proposed initial train service pattern can be achieved.

The New Bletchley Viaduct

The tracks appear to have been laid on the Bletchley Viaduct.

This Google Map shows the tracks on the viaduct.

Note.

  1. The double-track viaduct runs North-South in the middle of the map.
  2. The two platforms appear to be substantially complete.
  3. The two lift and stair towers are at the Southern end of the platforms.

This second Google Map shows the section of the viaduct by the roundabout.

Note.

  1. The viaduct splits with two tracks going North-West to Milton Keynes Central and two tracks going North-East to Bedford.
  2. There is a complicated junction, which appears to allow a lot of flexibility for train operations.

I have followed the Milton Keynes tracks and there are cross-overs, so that trains can go between Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station, which they will need to do to run services between Oxford and Aylesbury, and Milton Keynes Central.

This Google Map shows the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford, which is the first station towards Bedford.

Note.

  1. The Princes Way roundabout in the West of the map.
  2. The Milton Keynes and Bedford tracks divide close to the roundabout.
  3. Fenny Stratford station in the East of the map.
  4. The tracks gradually combine from West to East, so there is only one track for the single platform at Fenny Stratford station.

This Google Map shows the Western section of the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford.

Note, how the two tracks on the viaduct join into one for going towards Fenny Stratford in the North-East corner of the map..

I’m certain, that this track layout, allows a train to go between the single platform at Fenny Stratford station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station.

A Milton Keynes Central And Bedford Service

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, there is a section, which is entitled Extension to Milton Keynes Central, where this is said.

In June 2005, the then franchisee, Silverlink Trains announced an intention to extend the Marston Vale service via the West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central, where a new platform and track would be built alongside the up slow track. Work began on 4 December 2006 at the station to prepare for a service connection. The platform was ready for use in January 2009 but the service did not materialise and there are no longer any published plans for it to do so. A firm service pattern on East West Rail remains to be announced but the illustrative pattern has no Bedford–Milton Keynes Central service; passengers will continue to have to change at Bletchley. There is no east-to-north chord between this line and the WCML: As of December 2020, the route the chord might take is occupied by trade outlets and a warehouse.

But.

Supposing a Milton Keynes to Bedford train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Bedford along the Marston Vale Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 1A at Bedford station.

And supposing a Bedford to Milton Keynes train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 1A at Bedford to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Milton Keynes Central along the tracks alongside the West Coast Main Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. There would be some bi-directional running.
  2. Trains would only reverse on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  3. Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central would handle 4 tph.
  4. Platform 1A at Bedford station would handle 2 tph.

As the only reversing happens on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct, would it be sensible for a new driver to step-up, so that the reverse was fast?

I believe that with some innovative running, that a Milton Keynes and Bedford service is possible, because of the comprehensive track layout that has been installed.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 9 Comments

East-West Rail: Through Bedford

This Google Map shows the route of East West Rail through Bedford.

Note.

  1. Bedford St. Johns station in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. Bedford station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  3. Tracks run between the two stations to allow Marston Vale Line trains to terminate in Platform 1A  at Bedford station.
  4. There are a lot of sidings for Thameslink trains South of Bedford station.
  5. The Great Ouse divides the town into two.

I’ll now explore further.

Bedford St. Johns Station

This Google Map shows Bedford St. Johns station.

Note.

  1. Bedford St. Johns station towards the North-East corner of the map.
  2. The single-track Marston Vale Line passing through the station.
  3. The track becomes double track to the North of the station.
  4. Although not shown on the map, the Marston Vale Line becomes double track to the South of the station.
  5. If it was all double-track, this would surely make operation of the Marston Vale Line easier for two trains per hour (tph).
  6. In the South-West of the map is Bedford hospital.

The Wikipedia entry for Bedford St. Johns station, says this about the future of the station.

In March 2021, plans were unveiled which, if taken forward, would see Bedford St Johns railway station relocated as the track through the station will be realigned. In May 2023, EWRL announced that it proposes to relocate the station further north (to Kempston Road) to better serve Bedford Hospital.

That sounds sensible, as it would allow either a full two-platform step-free station or a smaller single-sided one-platform station to be built.

Over The Great Ouse

This Google Map shows the railway crossing the Great Ouse.

Note.

  1. The Marston Vale Line runs to the South -West of the long-stay car park in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. The Western bridge takes the line over the Great Ouse.
  3. It then runs between the sidings to Bedford station.

This picture, which was taken from the Spiral Footbridge on the North bank of the Ouse, shows the double-track rail bridge.

There are two tracks all the way from where the single-track divides to the North of Bedford St. Johns station.

The Southern Approaches To Bedford Station

This Google Map shows the Southern approaches to Bedford station.

I have looked at the track layout and I’m fairly sure of the following.

  • Current Marston Vale trains can go directly into Platform 1A without crossing any other tracks.
  • Marston Vale trains can use Platform 1 if required.
  • Thameslink trains can terminate in Platforms 1, 2 or 3.
  • Southbound Corby trains can call in Platforms 1, 2 or 3.
  • If they stop in Platforms 1 or 2, they appear to cross over South of Bedford station to the Midland Main Line.

If 2 tph were running on the Marston Vale Line; one fast and one stopping, a single platform should be able to handle the trains, if it was long enough.

Bedford Station

These pictures show Bedford station.

Note.

  1. The first two pictures were taken from the footbridge.
  2. The fast line between Platforms 3 and 4, is clearly visible in the second picture.
  3. Platform 1A is electrified.

This Google Map shows Platform 1A, where Marston Valley Line trains currently terminate.

Note.

  1. Platforms from the right are 1A and 1, 2 and 3 on the islands, with 4 to the left.
  2. Judging it against the three cars of the train in Platform 2, I reckon that Platform 1A could be updated to hold a six-car train.

Would a six-car train be long enough?

Initial East West Rail Services To Bedford

According to the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, these services will run on the railway between Oxford and Bedford.

  • East West Railway – Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley – 2 tph
  • East West Railway – Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont – 1 tph
  • East West Railway – Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central via Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley – 1 tph
  • West Midlands Trains – Bletchley and Bedford via Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns – 1 tph

Note.

  1. tph is trains per hour.
  2. There a fast train and a stopping train between Bletchley and Bedford.
  3. It appears that both these trains could terminate in Platform 1A at Bedford station.

I believe this will be possible with the current track layout, as the Marston Vale Line is almost all double-track.

East West Rail Services To Cambridge And Beyond

In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, these services are suggested, for when the East West Rail is complete.

  • An hourly train via Norwich terminating at Great Yarmouth.
  • An hourly train via Ipswich terminating at Manningtree.

Would this mean three of four passenger tph on the Marston Vale Line?

If Cambridge and Oxford services, were running under digital signalling, I suspect trains could cross between the Thameslink and Marston Vale Lines, so that they could call in the through platforms at Bedford station.

How Would Trains Connect To The East At Bedford Station?

This Google Map shows the Midland Main Line through Bedform.

Note.

  1. Bedford station in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. The Midland Main Line runs diagonally from Bedford station across the map.
  3. The A6 seems to take a curious route in the North-West corner of the map, where it connects to a roundabout with an Aldi and a Sainsbury’s

This Google Map shows the countryside to the North-East of the roundabout.

Judging by the colours of the fields to the North-East of the roundabout, I suspect, that a high proportion of the land is in one ownership.

This map clipped from the East West Rail route map, shows the route between Bedford and the East Coast Main Line between St. Neots and Sandy stations.

This Google Map shows the area of the junction, that would connect the East West Rail tracks to the slow lines through Bedford station.

Note.

  1. The four-track Midland Main Line runs diagonally across the map.
  2. The beige-coloured diamond-shaped area by the railway is an electrical substation.
  3. There doesn’t appear to be many properties that would need to be demolished.
  4. There would need to be a viaduct over the A6.
  5. Once over the A6, the land seems to be in one ownership, which should ease building the railway across.

I feel it would be feasible, possibly with the use of a dive-under or flyover to connect the East West Rail tracks to the slow lines through Bedford station.

May 28, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

East-West Rail: Oxford And Bedford

This map from East West Rail shows the route between Oxford and Bedford.

Note.

  1. The proposed route is shown in blue.
  2. The possible Southern extension to Aylesbury is shown dotted.
  3. The route between Bicester and Bletchley is rebuilt track along a former alignment.
  4. The route between Bletchley and Bedford will surely be rebuilt track along the Marston Vale Line.
  5. The Bicester and Bedford sections of track will be joined by the Bletchley Flyover, which is well on the way to completion.

This Google Map shows Bletchley station.

Note.

  1. Bletchley Station has six platforms.
  2. The double-track Bletchley Flyover runs North-South at the Eastern side of the station.
  3. There are the beginnings of two platforms on the flyover, which will increase the number of platforms at Bletchley station to eight.
  4. There is a junction at the Northern end of the flyover, where one pair of tracks go North to Milton Keynes Central and the other takes the Marston Vale Line to Bedford.

The track-layout at Bletchley station allows trains between Oxford and Bedford and Oxford and Milton Keynes Central to call at Bletchley station.

Proposed Passenger Trains Between Oxford and Bedford

According to the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, these service will run on the railway between Oxford and Bedford.

  • East West Railway – Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley – 2 tph
  • East West Railway – Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont – 1 tph
  • East West Railway – Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central via Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley – 1 tph
  • West Midlands Trains – Bletchley and Bedford via Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns – 1 tph

Note.

  1. tph is trains per hour.
  2. All larger stations get at least a half-hourly service.
  3. There are three tph  between Oxford and Bletchley via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village and Winslow.
  4. There a fast train and a stopping train between Bletchley and Bedford.
  5. It is still undecided, whether provision will be made for the Aylesbury service.

I think that this service pattern is achievable, with or without the Aylesbury service.

 

 

May 26, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fed Up Council Threatens Injunction Against Network Rail Over Closure Of Milton Keynes Railway Crossing

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Milton Keynes Citizen.

This looks like the ultimate level crossing argument between a council and Network Rail.

In some ways it’s all a bit ironic, as Network Rail’s headquarters is in Milton Keynes.

This Google Map shows the disputed crossing in Woburn Sands.

Note.

  1. The railway is the Marston Vale Line.
  2. Woburn Sands station and a level crossing is at the Western edge of the map.
  3. Swallowfield Lower School is at the Eastern edge of the map.
  4. Cranfield Road runs along the Northern side of the railway.

The row is all about the closure of the foot crossing, that links Cranfield Road and the school.

I live on a road to a primary school. At school times, there is heavy traffic on the pavement, with a lot of younger children in buggies and others with scooters.

  • A lot of the younger children are probably not going to school, but are too young to be left at home, by themselves.
  • I also see a couple of children in wheel-chairs.

I suspect the traffic to Swallowfield Lower school will be similar.

  • A bridge over the railway with steps would not be an adequate solution.
  • A bridge with lifts would be expensive.
  • A bridge with ramps would probably be difficult to fit in the restricted site.
  • A shallow subway with a ramp either side would probably be the only acceptable and affordable solution.

This picture shows such a subway at Enfield Lock station.

Could one like this, be dug under the railway at Woburn Sands?

November 11, 2020 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 4 Comments

Looking At The East West Railway Between Bedford And Cambridge

Updated Post

I have updated this post in  June 2021 to add extra information, that has now become available.

The route that has been chosen by East West Railway is Route E.

Route E is described in Wikipedia as follows.

Route E involves running from the existing Bedford station heading north then running to Tempsford where a new station would be built then (bypassing Sandy) the route heads east to Cambourne where a new station would be built. The route then joins an existing line northbound to Cambridge.

These maps show the route between Bedford and Cambridge stations in sections.

Bedford And Tempsford

This map shows the Western section between Bedford and Tempsford.

Note.

  1. Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St. Johns are existing stations on the existing Marston Vale Line, which could substantially be the route of the East West Railway between Bedford and stations to the West like Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Reading.
  2. Bedford station is on the Midland Main Line.
  3. Wixams station is a proposed station on the Midland Main Line, which also might be served by the East West Railway.
  4. Biggleswade, Sandy and St. Neots stations are on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

I’ll now take a quick look at the route through Bedford and the proposed Wixams station.

Bedford Station

Bedford station is  served by the following train services.

  • It is a terminus for Marston Vale Line services to and from Bletchley station.
  • It is a terminus for Thameslink services to and from London St. Pancras International station and the South as far as Brighton.
  • East Midlands Railway services between London St. Pancras International station and the East Midlands and Sheffield call at the station.

Midlands Connect are also proposing a service between Bedford and Leeds.

  • It would use High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
  • This would use High Speed Two to the North of East Midlands Hub station.
  • Times would drop between Bedford and Leeds from 140 minutes to 66 minutes.

I wonder, if this service were to be successful, that more services could be run from Bedford to the North.

There would certainly be massive advantages in developing Bedford as a major interchange between the East West Railway and the Midland Main Line.

This Google Map shows Bedford station.

Bedford station currently has five platforms.

  • 1a – A bay platform for Marston Vale Line services
  • 1 and 2 – Thameslink
  • 3 – Southbound East Midlands Railway
  • 4 – Northbound East Midlands Railway

Note.

  1. Platform 1a is about a hundred metres long.
  2. There is a fast line between Platforms 3 and 4.
  3. There is space to the West of Platform 4

I can come to these conclusions about Bedford station.

If a new platform is needed to handle more services at the station, there is space to build it.

According to East West Railway Company To Start Second Phase Of Rolling Stock Procurement, three-car trains are to be used by the East West Railway and these can be handled by the current Platform 1a.

As Bedford station is to be rebuilt, any issues can be sorted.

This Google Map shows the area to the North of the station.

Note that some of the roads to the North-East of the railway are named after poets. This is the Poets area of Bedford.

This article on the BBC is entitled East-West Rail: Bedfordshire Residents Give Their Views On £5bn Scheme and it details the opposition to the route including a section about the Poets area.

EWR Co says it could acquire or demolish 53 properties in the Bromham Road district of Bedford, known as the Poets area.

In addition, a further 16 properties could be demolished between Bedford and Cambridge.

This Google Map shows the Midland Main Line through Bedford.

 

Note.

  1. Bedford station is at the bottom of the map towards the East.
  2. The village of Clapham is towards the top of the map.
  3. The A6 road runs up the Eastern side of the railway.

What I find interesting, is that, to the East of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Clapham appears to be mainly open farmland.

Is there sufficient space to build a flying junction, so that trains could go between Bedford and Cambridge in a smooth manner? From a quick look at this map, it appears to me that this would be possible.

It might even be possible to build a full triangular junction, North of Bedford, so that trains could go between the East and the Northbound Midland Main Line.

It looks to me to be a very important junction, that gives lots of possibilities for new passenger and freight services.

  • Passenger trains between Cambridge and Sheffield via Leicester and Derby.
  • Freight trains between Felixstowe and Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
  • Could the route be used for stone trains between the Peak District and the massive building developments in the City of London?

This ideas would be for starters!

But I do feel that Network Rail have lots of strong reasons to take a North-Easterly route out of Bedford.

But this route is not popular with those that live in the area.

This Google Map shows the area South of Bedford towards the Wixams development.

Note.

  1. The large new village of Wixams is shown by the red arrow.
  2. Kempston Hardwick station can be picked out to the West of Wixams, close to the bottom of the map.
  3. The Midland Main Line can be picked out running South between Wixams and Kempston Hardwick.

The area looks like it is ripe for housing and commercial development between all the water.

I can envisage the East West Railway and the Midland Main Line doing the following.

  • Sharing tracks through Bedford and a new Wixams station, if that is desired.
  • A flying junction would then allow the two routes to split.
  • The East West Railway would go West to places like Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Reading.
  • The Midland Main Line would go South to Luton, London and beyond.

The East West Railway would open up a massive housing development at Wixams with connections to Cambridge, London, Milton Keynes, Oxford and beyond.

It strikes me, that one of the reasons for choosing Route E, is that this is the route, that opens up the Wixams development.

Could A Southern Route Be Used Around Bedford?

It probably could but, if the trains were to serve Bedford they’d need to reverse in Bedford station.

If the East West Railway goes to the North of Bedford, the following is possible.

  • East West Railway trains going East could share Platform 4 with Northbound East Midlands Railway services.
  • East West Railway trains going West could share Platform 3 with Southbound East Midlands Railway services.
  • East West Railway trains going West could also have a cross-platform interchange with Thameslink.

Train operation would be much simpler.

Through Tempsford

This map shows the Western section around Tempsford, where it crosses the ECML.

Note.

  1. Biggleswade, Sandy and St. Neots stations are on the ECML.
  2. There might be opportunities to improve the section of the ECML in this area.
  3. The light-coloured East-West band through the new station, is the proposed route of the East West Railway.

This Google Map shows the area North from Sandy.

Note.

  1. Sandy station can be seen at the bottom of the map.
  2. Tempsford can be seen about three-quarters of the way up the map.
  3. The ECML runs North-South up the middle of the map.
  4. The former RAF Tempsford can also be seen on the East side of the ECML.
  5. One interesting place on the map is the RSPB at Sandy.

Has the route been chosen to the North of Sandy to avoid the RSPB, who might not be in favour of a new railway?

  • I could envisage an impressive interchange station at Tempsford, if East West Railway decided to build it.
  • The East West Railway and the ECML could cross at right angles.
  • Platforms on both routes could be connected by lifts, escalators and stairs.
  • There looks like there could be space for lots of car parking.

Alternatively, a full junction could be built so that trains could swap between the two routes. But I suspect this would be too expensive.

The View From St. Neots

This article on the BBC is entitled St Neots: ‘I Think This Could Put Our Town On The Map’.

This is the first paragraph.

For the first time in its 1,000 years of history, St Neots could get its own voice in Parliament as part of a reshuffle of constituency boundaries. What difference could it make for a town that is the largest in Cambridgeshire?

The This in in the title is their own MP.

This is also said about transport links in the town.

he town, which is 45 minutes to London by rail, is getting a new bypass and is also at the centre of the new Cambridge to Oxford east-west rail link.

“There are phenomenal opportunities here for new business, all this development is happening around us,” adds Mr Hughes.

“All the people who used to travel to London – because St Neots is a commuter town – during the pandemic, they’ve opened the door, walked into the town and realised there’s a wonderful bohemia here.

There are also complaints in the article about the lack of jobs.

Surely, if the new station at Tempsford was well-designed and had enough car-parking, some of those commuters could work in Cambridge.

Tempsford And Cambourne

This map shows the central section between Tempsford and Cambourne.

Note.

  1. Sandy and St. Neots stations are on the ECML.
  2. The light-coloured East-West band through the new Tempsford and Cambourne stations, is the proposed route of the East West Railway.

This Google Map shows the area between Tempsford and Cambourne.

Note.

  1. Tempsford is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Cambourne is in the North-East corner of the map.
  3. St. Neots station is in the North-West corner of the map.

It certainly isn’t an area of the country with many important buildings around.

Through Cambourne

This Google Map shows the central section through Cambourne.

Note.

  1. The new village of Cambourne by the A428.
  2. The A1198 road going North-South between Huntingdon and Royston.
  3. The village of Great Eversden in the South-East corner of the map.

From looking at the various maps and knowing the area well, I suspect the East West Railway will take the following route.

  • Approach from the West and cross the A1198 to the North of Caxton.
  • Pass South of Cambourne, where a station could be built. The station could be fairly simple, but there is plenty of space, especially if cycling to the train is encouraged.
  • Pass North of Bourn and Bourn Golf and Country Club.
  • Pass North of Great Eversden and leave the map in the South-East corner.

It looks to be a fairly simple section.

Great Eversden And Cambridge

This Google Map shows the area from Great Eversden to the Trumpington Park-and-Ride, which is served by the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

Note.

  1. Great Eversden is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The M11 runs diagonally across the Eastern end of the map.
  3. Trumpington is at the Eastern end of the map.
  4. The track bed of the old Varsity Line is clearly visible.

The question has to be asked, if it would be worthwhile rebuilding this section.

Consider.

  • Part of the trackbed is used for the Ryle Telescope.
  • Part of the trackbed is used for the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.
  • The route doesn’t serve Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
  • Cambridge also has ambitions to extend the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway to Hauxton and create the Cambridge Autonomous Metro, which I wrote about in Consultation On The Cambridge Autonomous Metro.

This map shows the proposed layout of the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro.

Note.

  1. The green section will be in tunnel.
  2. The Trumpington Branch is extended to Hauxton,

This Google Map shows the area to the South West of Cambridge between Hauxton and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Note.

  1. Addenbrooke’s Hospital is in the North-East corner of this map.
  2. The Trumpington Park-and-Ride is to the East of the M11.
  3. Shelford station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  4. The West Anglia Main Line running past the hospital, splits into two, with one branch going West to Royston and Hitchin and the other going South to Harlow and London.

The two maps taken together weave quite a complicated pattern.

The East West Railway and the Cambridge Autonomous Metro could probably be tweaked so that they could both be created.

  • The East West Railway could take a slightly more Southerly route and pass to the West of Hauxton to join the Royston and Cambridge Line to get to Cambridge South and Cambridge stations.
  • The Cambridge Autonomous Metro would pass over or under the M11 and terminate at a suitable place on the East of Hauxton.

There might even be a solution involving a joint station to the West of the M11

 

 

 

 

 

March 18, 2020 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Vivarail Units Take Over Marston Vale Services

The title of this post is the same asw this article on Railway Gazette.

The article contains an informative video of Adrian Shorter talking about the Class 230 train.

Much of the article and the video is information that has already been well reported.

Adrian Shooter does mention that the diesel-electric-battery versions of the Class 230 train for Transport for Wales will incorporate geo-fencing.

This would mean that in sensitive areas, the diesel engines would be cut out and only  battery power would be used.

The process would be controlled automatically using the train’s position from GPS.

This technique has been used on hybrid buses to lower emissions and noise levels in sensitive areas.

 

May 30, 2019 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A First Ride In A Revenue-Earning Class 230 Train

When I heard that London North Western Railway were running a new Class 230 train between Bedford and Bletchley, I just had to go.

These are my thoughts.

Comparison With D78 Stock

I regularly used the D78 Stock from their introduction in 1980 until their retirement in 2017. In Raw Material For A New Train, I showed a few pictures of one of the last D78 Stock trains to be in service.

The picture with the orange doors shows a Class 378 train, at the same platform as the D78 train for comparison.

The trains have certainly undergone changes with new wndows and a new interior, but some components like the  longitudinal seats, appear to have just been refurbished.

But the Class 230 train has retained the well-lit feel of the D78 Stock.

An Interior For All Passengers

Passengers come in many different types and the interior has been well-designed to cope all types of passengers who might use the train.

As it also takes clues from other trains, that work on high-capacity routes, I feel it would cope well if on perhaps a weekend, there was some form of event or festival.

Longitudinal Seating

Vivarail have retained some of the old London Underground longitudinal seating, which must be unique in the UK outside the London Underground/Overground and the Glasgow Subway.

But it does seem to fit in more seats.

Seat Comfort

To me, seat comfort is all important, as I have a posterior that objects to certain seats, like those on Thameslink’s Class 700 trains.

But these seats were fine, despite the fact they looked like the dreaded Thameslink seats. But then perhaps the padding is different!

Tables

LNWR have chosen to fit several tables in these trains, which were big enough to lay out a tabloid-sized newspaper.

Wi-Fi, Power And USB Points

Wi-fi is fitted to this train and there were numerous power and USB points. The latter were in the armrests of the longitudinal seats, which in my view, is the obvious, if not essential place. Other train manufacturers please note!

An Unfussy, Surprisingly Quiet And Workmanlike Ride

Passengers don’t generally rave about the quality of the ride in Underground trains and I would generally describe the ride of the average Underground train as workmanlike.

But then I’ve been riding Underground trains for at least sixty-five years and a modern S7 Stock train, is so much better than the 1938 Stock trains I can remember.

The ride of the Class 230 train is unfussy, surprisingly quiet and it still has that workmanlike quality of forty-year-old Underground trains.

Without doubt though, the ride and especially the noise is much better than the Alstom Coradia iLint, that I wrote about in My First Ride In An Alstom Coradia iLint.

Engine Noise

The two diesel engines beneath our feet, were not any more noticeable, than the engine on one of London’s Routemaster buses.

I would expect that High quality noise suppression techniques have been used.

An Air Of Quality

The finish of the train appeared to have a good quality

Operating Speed

Using the |SpeedView app on my phone, the train seemed to trundle on happily at around 45-50 mph.

Passenger Reaction

The passengers seemed to be fairly pleased with their new train, and several said it was better than the single car Class 153 train.

A Senior Manager from LNWR, also seemed pleased with his new train.

Conclusion

It is a well-designed train, that impressed me.

It should find a niche in the train market.

The fact that the train is in service, will in itself provoke interest from train operating companies and Councils and other groups promoting new or reopened train services.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see more orders this year.

April 23, 2019 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | 5 Comments

Did Adrian Shooter Let The Cat Out Of The Bag?

This article with a video in the Scotsman is entitled Video: Battery Trains On Track To Cut Emissions and gives a lot of information about the Class 230 train. This is a paragraph.

The train is restricted to a 25mph speed on this week’s test trips, but Vivarail Chief Executive Adrian Shooter says it can sustain speeds of “60 mph for 40 miles” when new batteries become available next year.

Moreover, the batteries need just four minutes to recharge.

So what does this mean for the various routes?

Borderlands Line

Transport for Wales have ordered Class 230 trains for the Borderlands Line.

The line runs between Bidston and Wrexham Central stations is around twenty-seven miles and takes an hour. There is a generous turnround time at both ends in the current schedule.

This Google Map shows the layout of the two-platform station at Bidston.

This picture shows the red-roofed shed in the middle of the island platform, with the tracks on either side.

Would it be sensible to add a dedicated bay platform at Bidston for charging the battery trains?

The train will certainly be able to start with a full battery after a long charge at Wrexham Central and then do the following.

  • Run to Bidston on battery power.
  • Turnround at Bidston, where four minutes could be used to charge the batteries.
  • Run back to Wrexham Central on battery power.
  • Regenerative braking would be used at the thirteen intermediate stations.

If necessary during the long runs the diesel engines could be used to provide more power or top up the batteries.

Chester To Crewe Line

Transport for Wales have ordered Class 230 trains for the Chester to Crewe Line.

It runs between Chester and Crewe stations, is around twenty miles long and services take about twenty minutes.

As there are no stations between Chester and Crewe and the maximum speed of the Class 230 train is sixty mph, it looks like the train will be almost at maximum speed  along this route.

So will the four diesel engines be working hard?

When these trains were built in the 1980s, I doubt that anybody thought they’d be running services on a section of the North Wales Coast Line.

Conwy Valley Line

Transport for Wales have ordered Class 230 trains for the Conwy Valley Line.

It runs between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog stations, is around thirty miles long and services take eighty minutes to ascend and seventy to come down.

The train will certainly be able to start with a full battery after a long charge at Llandudno and then do the following.

  • Ascend to Blaenau Ffestiniog on battery power, with help from the diesel engines.
  • Turnround at Blaenau Ffestiniog, where four minutes could be used to charge the batteries.
  • Descend to Llandudno on battery power, with help from gravity.
  • The descent would be controlled by regenerative braking.
  • Regenerative braking would be used at the eleven intermediate stations.

If necessary during the long ascent the diesel engines could be used to provide more power or top up the batteries.

Greenford Branch

What do you do with a problem like the Greenford Branch?

In Could Class 165 HyDrive Trains Be The Solution To The Greenford Branch?, I looked at the possibility of using the proposed Class 165 HyDrive trains to provide a four trains per hour (tph) service on the Greenford Branch.

This was my conclusion.

Four tph is possible on the Greenford Branch, but it will need an extra crossover just outside West Ealing station.

Class 165 HyDrive trains with their extra performance would make the four tph timetable more reliable.

The lower noise and emissions of the trains would also please the local residents.

I also feel that a well-designed battery-powered two-car train, with perhaps a charging station at either end could also provide the improved service.

That well-designed battery-train has arrived in the shape of the Class 230 train.

Island Line

It appears likely, that Class 230 trains will be ordered for the Island Line.

It runs between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin stations, is under nine miles long and a typical round trip is as follows.

  • Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head – 24 minutes
  • Turnround at Ryde Pier Head – 20 minutes
  • Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin – 24 minutes
  • Turnround at Shanklin – 5 minutes

The Island Line has an operating speed of just 45 mph.

Adding all that up, I would estimate that a train doing a round trip would do under twenty miles at a maximum speed of 45 mph.

Adrian Shooter said that the trains will be able to store 2,400 miles² /hour, whereas the Island Line would use only 900 miles² /hour in a round trip. They may be weird units, you won’t find in any text book, but I want to prove if something is possible or not.

It looks like it most definitely is possible for a battery-powered Class 230 train to perform a round trip on one charge of of the batteries.

Suppose though, the line was reinstated to Ventnor station, as a  line without electrification. A quick estimate gives the round-trip as thirty miles, which would need  1350 miles² /hour.

There could even be a second charging station at Ventnor.

Could we see a future Island Line like this?

  • No electrification.
  • Extension to a new Ventnor station.
  • A passing loop at Brading station.
  • Battery trains.
  • Relaid track for very gentle curves and high efficiency.
  • Charging stations at Ryde Pier Head and Ventnor stations.

I suspect with some faster running, where it is possible and perhaps one diesel power pack per train, three-car Class 230 trains could run a two tph service.

This type of service would not be unique for long, as other places would quickly copy.

Marston Vale Line

West Midlands Trains have ordered Class 230 trains for the Marston Vale Line.

It runs between Bedford and Bletchley stations, is around twenty-four miles long and services appear to take about forty-five minutes, with a turn-round time of well over four minutes.

So it would seem that each leg of a return journey would be less than forty miles and there would be sufficient time for a full four-minute charge at either end.

The regenerative braking would be useful in handling the eleven stops.

Conclusion

It isn’t one cat!

It’s a whole destruction, glorying or nuisance of felines!

 

 

 

October 16, 2018 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Brand New Vivarail Train Arrives At Bletchley

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

The first Class 230 train has now been delivered to its new home at Bletchley depot for service on the Marston Vale Line.

This unlikely project finally seems to be closing in on a successful conclusion.

But then never underestimate the power of engineering!

September 21, 2018 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , | 12 Comments

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