The Anonymous Widower

London North Eastern Railway Runs Trial Train To Liverpool Street

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

These two paragraphs, describe why this was done.

In an effort to mitigate the effect on passengers during disruption to services, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) ran one of its Azuma trains from Finsbury Park to London Liverpool Street during the early hours of this morning, Friday, 14th July.

The trial run took place to determine the long-term feasibility of diverting services during periods of planned disruption or when significant engineering works were taking place.

There doesn’t seem to have been any problems.

  • The route in from Finsbury Park station went through Canonbury, Dalston Kingsland, Hackney Central, Homerton, Hackney Wick, Stratford and Bethnal Green stations, which was a distance of 9.6 miles.
  • The route out to Finsbury Park station went through Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Dalston Kingsland and Canonbury, what was a distance of 5.8 miles.

Note.

  1. Two different routes were checked.
  2. The Class 800 train had five cars.
  3. Platform 4 at Liverpool Street station was used, which is normally used by London Overground and Cambridge services.

As this comes so soon after the test run to Cleethorpes, that I wrote about in Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I wonder if Network Rail and the train operating companies are planning for some worst case scenario, where the two or more of the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Lone and East Coast Main Line are blocked.

LNER and Network Rail have shown the following.

  • Azumas can use Cleethorpes station.
  • Azumas can use Liverpool Street station.

We also know that Cleethorpes has a direct TransPennine train service across the North of England to Doncaster, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool.

So if say Euston has to be shut for perhaps fourteen days during the construction of High Speed Two, a service between Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes via Colchester, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and Lincoln could be used to get some passengers to and from the North.

The other big problem is the removal of the problems of the Newark Crossing, which if it results in a long blockade of the East Coast Main Line, might need services to go into an alternative London terminal.

The Powerhouse In The East

Consider.

  • The importance of Cambridge to the economy of the UK is growing fast.
  • The city suffers from a shortage of commercial premises, housing and staff at all levels.
  • I have just looked at the non-passenger traffic on the West Anglia Main Line for all of yesterday and there were just six freight trains through Bishop’s Stortford.

I wonder, if it would be possible to run a Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service via Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town?

  • The service avoids the East Coast Main Line, except through Peterborough, where it would use the separate Werrington lines.
  • Liverpool Street is in the heart of one of the world’s major financial centres.
  • Liverpool Street is on the Elizabeth Line.
  • The service could call at Stansted Airport, but a reverse would be needed.
  • Peterborough is sometimes promoted in Cambridge as a city, that could be developed, to provide  support for Cambridge.
  • A reverse would be needed at Lincoln.
  • Lincoln is developing as a university city with character.
  • Grimsby and Cleethorpes are close to the fast expanding Humberside renewable energy and hydrogen cluster.

The service could be paired with a Liverpool Street and Norwich service, via Ely, Thetford, Attleborough and Wymondham.

The services could alternate every half hour or perhaps leave London as a pair and split and join at Cambridge.

Platform Availability At Kings Cross And Liverpool Street

Consider.

  • Digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line will increase the number of possible trains between London and the North.
  • LNER have said they want to increase services to the North and have identified a possible service to Cleethorpes.
  • Grand Central would like to increase services to Bradford.
  • Lumo have started services to Newcastle and Edinburgh from Kings Cross.
  • The Elizabeth Line now runs less services into Liverpool Street station.
  • The Elizabeth Line connects to  Liverpool Street, but doesn’t connect to King’s Cross.
  • Liverpool Street is to undergo a major refurbishment, which should increase the overall passenger capacity of the station.

Would it be sensible to move a small number of services from King’s Cross to Liverpool Street?

Surely, the logical service to move to Liverpool Street would be the new Cleethorpes service.

  • It would route via Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
  • It would use the Werrington Lines through Peterborough.
  • It would not need a path on the East Coast Main Line.
  • The service would provide a much needed direct link between Cambridge and Lincoln via Peterborough.
  • The service could also be hourly or two-hourly.

I also believe that a Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service could be run by a battery-electric Azuma.

  • The route is electrified between Liverpool Street and Ely and through Peterborough.
  • Ely and Peterborough is 30 miles.
  • Peterborough and Lincoln is 56.9 miles.
  • Lincoln and Cleethorpes is 47.2 miles.
  • There would need to be a charging station or a few miles of electrification at Cleethorpes.
  • There may be 134.1 miles of unelectrified track, but there can be a Splash and Dash at Peterborough.

A Stadler Akku would be able to handle this route, so I suspect that a similar-sized battery-electric Azuma should also be able to handle the route.

July 19, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Could East Midland Railway’s Leicester And Lincoln Service Be Extended To Burton On Trent?

After my trip to Lincoln and Cleethorpes earlier this week, I got to thinking about how train services could be improved in the area.

Cleethorpes As A Battery-Electric Train Hub Station

In Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023, this was my last sentence.

Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.

Services running to Cleethorpes station could be.

  • East Midlands Railway – Barton-on-Humber and Cleethorpes via Barrow Haven, New Holland, Goxhill, Thornton Abbey, Ulceby, Habrough, Stallingborough, Healing, Great Coates, Grimsby Town, Grimsby Docks and New Clee, which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Barton-on-Humber and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.
  • East Midlands Railway – Leicester and Cleethorpes via Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Collingham, Swinderby, Hykeham, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is not planned to be electrified and is 77.8 miles.
  • LNER – London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which would run at least two trains per day (tpd). Newark Northgate and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 60.6 miles.
  • TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Liverpool South Parkway, Warrington Central, Birchwood, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which runs hourly. Hazel Grove and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 101.4 miles.

Note.

  1. All services to Cleethorpes could be run using a battery-electric train, with the range of a Stadler FLIRT Akku, which is 139 miles.
  2. Cleethorpes station will soon have four terminal platforms. Could it be one platform for each service?
  3. The 3.3 miles of single-track electrification would be between Cleethorpes and Grimsby stations.
  4. I am assuming that all services should be at least hourly, except London King’s Cross.
  5. If the frequency of services to London King’s Cross, were to be increased, the extra services would take-over paths of the East Midlands Railway services between Lincoln and Cleethorpes.
  6. I am also assuming that the Midland Main Line electrification has been completed through Leicester to Nottingham, as is currently planned.

Cleethorpes will become a very well-connected station.

Collateral Benefits Of Cleethorpes As A Fossil Fuel-Free Station

If all services to Cleethorpes are run by battery-electric trains, then there will be collateral benefits.

  • All passenger train services in North-East Lincolnshire will be zero-carbon.
  • TransPennine Express’s Southern route between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster will be zero-carbon.
  • LNER’s services to London King’s Cross from Lincolnshire will be zero carbon.

Manchester and Sheffield will be linked by an hourly electric service, just as it was between 1953 and 1981.

The Ivanhoe Line

I wrote about the Ivanhoe Line in Reinstatement Of The Ivanhoe Line.

  • There is a proposed reinstatement of passenger services between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent stations.
  • I estimate it’s a distance of around 37 miles.
  • There would be some new stations on the route.

In the Wikipedia entry for the Ivanhoe Line, there is a section called Future, where this is said.

The intermediate stations are capable of taking only a two-coach train, which has led to overcrowding on some services, especially now that the service is extended to Nottingham and Lincoln. The latest Route Utilisation Strategy for the East Midlands makes recommendations for platform lengthening.

East Midlands Parkway railway station has now been built on the route. The Borough of Charnwood’s local plan of 2004 anticipates a station at Thurmaston.

In 2022 the closed section of the line was one of nine schemes chosen to undergo a feasibility scrutiny by Network Rail as part of the government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. If approved, work could start in 2024 and the line reopened in 2026

Note.

  1. The first paragraph refers to the existing section of the Ivanhoe Line, to the North of Leicester.
  2. I went to Burton once for the football and it’s a difficult place to get to from North London by train.
  3. Burton-on-Trent station was fully refurbished in 2011.
  4. Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services from CrossCountry trains.

It seems that a creditable plan is emerging.

Service Frequency Between Burton-on-Trent And Leicester

As Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services, I suspect that this will be the initial frequency between Burton-on-Trent and Leicester.

But I could see this frequency being increased, if there were long waits during interchange at Burton-on-Trent.

Average Speed Of The Service And Estimate For A Time Between Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent

The current Grimsby Town and Leicester service is over a route of 105.3 miles and a direct service takes two hours and thirty-seven minutes.

This is an average speed of 40.24 mph.

I can now give an estimate for a Cleethorpes and Burton-on-Trent service.

The distance will be 105.3+3.3+37, which is 145.6 miles.

An estimate of the time using a speed of 40.24 mph is three hours and thirty-seven minutes.

But seeing that a good proportion of the route has a 110 mph operating speed, I suspect that a 100 mph train could do the trip faster.

Could Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent Be Worked By A Battery-Electric Train?

The route could be effectively four sections.

  • Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town – 3.3 miles – Electrified
  • Grimsby Town and Nottingham – 77.8 miles – Not Electrified
  • Nottingham and Leicester – 27.5 miles – Being Electrified
  • Leicester and Burton-on-Trent – 37 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

  1. In a round trip, there are two sections of 77.8 miles and two consecutive sections of 37 miles.
  2. Battery-electric trains would be charged on the electrified section of the route.

I am sure that a battery-electric train with a range of greater than 77.8 miles would handle the service.

July 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thoughts On The East Midlands Railway Timetable After Class 810 Trains Enter Service

East Midlands Railway will soon be replacing their diesel Class 222 trains with new bi-mode Class 810 trains.

  • 32 trains will be replaced by 33 trains.
  • 167 cars will be replaced by 165 cars.
  • The current trains come in four, five and seven cars.
  • The new trains come in five-cars only.
  • The platforms at St. Pancras station can accept a pair of the new trains.
  • Both Class 222 and Class 810 trains are genuine 125 mph trains.
  • St. Pancras and Corby takes one hour and fifteen minutes
  • St. Pancras and Nottingham takes hour and forty-five minutes
  • St. Pancras and Sheffield takes two hours

The current services are as follows.

  • St. Pancras and Corby via Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough and Kettering
  • St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph) and Beeston (1 tph).
  • St. Pancras and Sheffield via Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph), Long Eaton (1 tph), Derby and Chesterfield.

Note.

All services are two trains per hour (tph)

If all services were run by single trains, the following number of trains would be needed for each service.

  • St. Pancras and Corby – 6 trains
  • St. Pancras and Nottingham – 8 trains
  • St. Pancras and Sheffield – 9 trains

Note.

  1. This means a total of twenty-three trains.
  2. I am assuming, that trains can turn round in fifteen minutes at each end of the journey.
  3. If pairs of trains run, then the numbers can be doubled to forty-six trains.

These are my thoughts.

Do The Luton Airport Express Services Need Pairs Of Trains?

The Corby service is now branded as the Luton Airport Express.

This picture shows a packed Luton Airport Express at Luton Airport Parkway station.

After seeing this, I believe that a pair of trains must run to Corby to pick up passengers, who want a fast service to and from Luton Airport.

Will The Class 810 Trains Replace The Class 360 Trains To Corby?

If all services are run by single Class 810 trains, the following would apply.

  • The current service pattern would need 23 trains.
  • All stations would get the same number of trains to and from St. Pancras.
  • All East Midlands Railway out of St. Pancras would use the same 125 mph electric trains and services could probably be speeded up.
  • The Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on diesel and the Class 360 train has 1.55 MW on electric, so I suspect that the Class 810 train has the faster acceleration.
  • Bedford, Kettering, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Market Harborough and Wellingborough would have 125 mph electric commuter services to and from London.
  • Corby and Luton Airport Parkway services would have marginally more seats, if Corby services were pairs of trains.

There would be ten spare trains, if the Class 360 trains were replaced or four spare trains, if pairs of trains ran to Corby.

Would Class 810 Trains Running On Electric Execute Stops Faster?

This document on Rail Engineer gives these figures for total power on electric of Class 802 trains.

  • Five-car – 2712 kW
  • Nine-car – 4520 kW

Note.

  1. These figures are based on a Hitachi figure of 226 kW for the power of a traction motor.
  2. The five-car train has twelve motors and the nine-car has twenty.
  3. As a five-car train has three powered cars and a nine-car train has five, it looks like each powered car has four traction motors.
  4. The document also says that the power to weight ratio on electric is thirty percent more than on diesel.

This  document on the Hitachi web site provides this schematic of the traction system.

Note that four traction motors are confirmed.

Consider the power of the various trains, that run or will run on the Midland Main Line.

  • Four-car Class 180 train has one 559 kW diesel engine per car.
  • Four, five and seven-car Class 222 train has one 559 kW diesel engine per car.
  • Four-car Class 360 train has 1.55 MW on electric – 387 kW per car.
  • Five-car Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on diesel – 588 kW per car.
  • Five-car Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on electric – 588 kW per car.

Note.

  1. The Class 810 train will out-accelerate the Class 360 train as it has at least 40 percent more power on electric.
  2. The Class 810 train has pantographs on both driving cars.
  3. The Class 810 train has two powered cars; numbers 2 and 4.
  4. I have assumed that if the Class 810 train can handle 2.94 MW on both diesel and electric.
  5. With eight traction motors, they would need to be 367.5 kW.
  6. The Class 810 train should out-accelerate the Class 180 train and Class 222 train as it has at five percent more power on both diesel and electric.

I think it is also relevant that the order for the Class 810 trains was placed in August 2019 and Hitachi announced their collaboration with Eversholt Rail Group to develop the battery-electric versions of the Class 802 trains only sixteen months later. As the Class 810 appears to be an revolution of the Class 802 train, I suspect that Hitachi were working hard on battery design, as this train’s design evolved.

These are the five cars of the Class 810 train.

  • 1 – DPTS – Driver-Pantograph-Trailer-Standard with Generator Unit
  • 2 – MS – Motored-Standard with Generator Unit
  • 3 – TS – Trailer-Standard with Transformer
  • 4 – MC – Motored-Composite with Generator Unit
  • 5 – DPTF – Driver-Pantograph-Trailer-First with Generator Unit

Note.

  1. Generator Unit is a diesel generator.
  2. Motored means the car has four traction motors.
  3. Composite means a car with both First and Standard accommodation.
  4. Cars 1-2, and 4-5, form two power units with two generator units, four traction motors and a pantograph, at each end of the train. Cables would connect them to the transformer in car 3.

It looks a neat solution, which probably has high reliability.

I can envisage the  two generator units under cars 2 and 4 could be replaced by battery packs.

  • The battery packs would mimic the function of the generator units.
  • Noise in cars 2 and 4 would be reduced.
  • Carbon emissions would be reduced.
  • The battery packs would be charged, when running under the wires or possibly from chargers or short length of overhead wires at terminal stations.
  • The battery packs would handle regenerative braking.
  • Adding battery packs would allow the trains to jump gaps left in the electrification.

At some point in the future, the other two generator units could be removed or replaced with battery packs, depending on whether full electrification happens on the Midland Main Line.

These meanderings convince me that the Class 810 trains will be able to save time in the stops on the Midland Main Line.

Because of these savings, I can see East Midlands Railway, reorganising stops on the electrified section of the route, as although the stop will add a minute or two, this lost time will be picked up on savings at existing stops and by more 125 mph running.

Could The Nottingham And Sheffield Services Be Combined?

These are the current services to Nottingham and Sheffield.

  • St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph) and Beeston (1 tph).
  • St. Pancras and Sheffield via Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph), Long Eaton (1 tph), Derby and Chesterfield.

Note.

  1. Both services call at Leicester , Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
  2. Some trains call at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering and Market Harborough on the section of the Midland Main Line, which is currently being electrified between Kettering and Wigston.
  3. A lot of money has been spent on the Luton DART and it only has two fast trains from St. Pancras. Four tph would be ideal.

Suppose the Sheffield and Nottingham trains operated like this.

  • A pair of Class 810 trains would leave St. Pancras.
  • South of Leicester, they would call at one or two stations, as defined in the timetable.
  • They would then call at Leicester , Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
  • At East Midlands Parkway, the two trains would split.
  • One train would go to Sheffield and the other would go to Nottingham, stopping as defined in the timetable.

Note.

  1. Because of the trains superior performance, they would be doing quicker calls at stations, which should allow the existing timetable to be maintained or even improved.
  2. Hitachi trains can split and join in around two minutes.
  3. These trains would call at Luton Airport Parkway, to give that station four tph from St. Pancras, Luton and Bedford.

I calculated earlier that a 2 tph Sheffield service would need nine trains. So if it served both Nottingham and Sheffield it would need another nine trains. This would give a total of eighteen trains.

  • If the St.Pancras and Corby service were to be run by pairs of Class 810 trains, this would require twelve trains.
  • Adding the two services together would require thirty trains. Would three trains be enough for backup and in maintenance?

I suspect splitting and joining at East Midlands Parkway could be beneficial.

Could Four tph Be Run To Nottingham And Sheffield?

Consider.

  • Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton and York all get two tph from London.
  • Some closer stations like Birmingham, Cambridge, Ipswich, Leicester, Oxford and Reading get more.
  • Most of these routes are electrified and run modern trains.

I wouldn’t say never, but adding two tph to both Nottingham and Sheffield services would require.

  • Two more hourly train paths on both between St. Pancras and Nottingham, and St. Pancras and Sheffield.
  • Eighteen extra trains.

But as a sub-two hour service would be running on both routes, it would probably be possible to accurately predict, when more trains were needed.

Electrification Through Leicester

As more electrification is added, this should result in faster journeys, that reduce carbon emissions.

OpenRailwayMap is now showing the electrification as dotted lines on the Midland Main Line.

This map shows the electrification scheme through Leicester.

Note.

  1. Only the two main lines in the centre of the station seem to be going to be electrified.
  2. These lines are used by East Midlands Railway’s through trains and surprisingly some freight trains.
  3. Terminating services from places like Birmingham, Grimsby and Lincoln seem to stop in the outer platforms.

This picture shows the platforms from the Northern footbridge.

This picture shows the platforms from the Northern footbridge.

At the Southern end of the station, the tracks go under the London Road bridge. This map shows the tracks there.

Note.

  • The two main tracks of the Midland Main Line appear that they will be electrified.
  • But the lines at each side are not electrified.

Some years ago I came back to London from Leicester with a group of drivers. At one point, the conversation turned to electrification and they said that they had met a Network Rail engineer, who had told them, that the bridge was rather low for electrification and the track couldn’t be lowered because Leicester’s main sewer was underneath the railway.

It looks like Network Rail have found a way to squeeze two electrified tracks through the middle of the bridge and then use diesel, battery or other self-powered trains on lines without electrification on either side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

125 mph Upgrade For MML OLE South Of Bedford

The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the June 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is the sub-heading.

Targeted Investment Benefits From Project SPEED Approach

The main objective was to upgrade the 1980s electrification between Bedford and St. Pancras, so that it could support 125 mph running by East Midlands Railway’s new Class 810 trains.

Originally, a total replacement was envisaged, but in the end a more selective approach will be carried out.

This paragraph indicates the benefits of the approach.

The proposal for wholesale replacement of the OLE South of Bedford would have cost several hundreds of millions of pounds, whereas the approved scheme comes in at just £84 million, around one-third of the previous cost – testament to the application of SPEED principles.

I have a couple of thoughts.

Network Rail’s Project Management

If I go back to the 1970s and 1980s, when we were developing and selling the project management system; Artemis to the world, we sold very few systems to the UK Government and none to British Rail or the NHS. Later Artemis was used on the Channel Tunnel and the Rail Link to London, the Jubilee Line Extension, sections of the Docklands Light Railway and railways in Australia and Hong Kong.

So it is good to see, Network Rail getting to grips with managing the electrification upgrade of the Midland Main Line with some good project management.

An Encounter With A Group Of Drivers

It might have been five years ago, when I travelled with a group of drivers from East Midlands Trains positioning to St. Pancras.

  • One of the observations they had was that the Class 700 trains coming into service were not fast enough as they were only 100 mph trains, whereas their Class 222 trains were capable of 125 mph.
  • Since then the Class 360 trains have been introduced on Corby services. These trains have been uprated from 100 to 110 mph.
  • We now have the situation, where Class 810 trains capable of running at 125 mph will replace the Class 222 train.

If you look at the traffic  at West Hampstead Thameslink station, you can see that Both Thameslink and East Midlands Railway are using the fast lines, through platforms 3 and 4.

The fast lines have a maximum speed of 125 mph North of Luton and generally 100-110 mph between Luton and West Hampstead Thameslink station.

Would it help the timetabling of services on the Midland Main Line, if the Thameslink services  were capable of running faster, when they were using the fast lines?

I feel the drivers may have a point.

 

May 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 2 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 | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

London Overground: Design Work For West London Orbital Route Begins

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

This is the sub-heading.

Plans for a new London Overground link in west London are progressing, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

These paragraphs outline what will happen.

Engineering consultants who worked on the Elizabeth line have been chosen for the West London Orbital service.

“This engineering design will help determine the cost of delivering the scheme, which is currently unfunded,” Transport for London (TfL) said.

It hopes the scheme, which would connect Hounslow with Hendon and West Hampstead, could start next decade.

My feeling, is that they should get on with it.

  • There would be no major construction like tunnels.
  • Four stations would need to be built.
  • I doubt there will be any demolition.
  • It wouldn’t need more electrification, as the route is electrified at both ends and battery-electric trains could be used.
  • It would create more connections to Old Oak Common for High Speed Two.

But if it does for North West London, what the Overground has done for North and East London, it will be very much worth it.

These are a few thoughts and observations.

The Route

This is a schematic of the route from the BBC article.

Note.

  1. Services will be between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hounslow stations and between Hendon and Kew Bridge stations.
  2. If services follow the London Overground frequency, they will be four trains per hour (tph).
  3. The new stations are Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common Lane and Lionel Road.
  4. Acton Central, Brentford, South Acton, Syon Lane and West Hampstead Thameslink are step-free and Isleworth is on the way.
  5. The fully step-free Brent Cross West station will open soon.
  6. Lionel Road station will serve the new Brentford stadium.
  7. Old Oak Common Lane will serve High Speed Two, the Elizabeth Line and the North London Line.

They look to be a useful set of stations.

Kew Bridge Station

There’s been a lot of development at Kew Bridge station, since I was last there.

There are lots of flats and Brentford’s new stadium.

I suspect all the stations between Kew Bridge and Hounslow will see similar levels of development.

Electrification Issues On The Dudding Hill Line

The Dudding Hill Line forms the Northern section of the route between the Midland Main Line and the North London Line at Acton Wells Junction.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the junction between the Dudding Hill and Midland Main Lines.

Note.

  1. The Midland Main Line is shown in red as it is electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The Dudding Hill Line is shown in black, as it isn’t electrified.

This second map from OpenRailwayMap shows the junction between the Dudding Hill and North London Lines at Acton Wells junction.

Note.

  1. As before red tracks are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires and black tracks have no electrification.
  2. The Dudding Hill Line is the black track running North-South at the West of the map.
  3. Acton Wells junction, where the Dudding Hill and North London Lines join is in the South-West corner of the map.
  4. The North London Line is shown in red running across the North-West corner of the map.
  5. The Great Western Main Line is shown in red running across the South-East corner of the map.
  6. High Speed Two will run East-West across the map and is shown dotted in red.
  7. The red lines in the middle of the map is the Elizabeth Line depot.

With all the 25 KVAC overhead electrification at both ends of the Dudding Hill Line, it would appear, that if this section is ever electrified, it will be electrified with this form of electrification.

There may be a problem, in that there are three or four bridges over the line.

Electrification Issues At Kew

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the triangular junction by Kew Bridge station.

Note.

  1. As before black tracks have no electrification.
  2. Mauve tracks are electrified with 750 VDC  third-rail electrification.
  3. Kew Bridge station is indicated by the blue arrow at the Eastern point of the junction.
  4. Trains to Hounslow will arrive in the North-East corner of the map and go diagonally across the map to leave in the South-West point of the junction.
  5. Trains to Kew Bridge will arrive in the North-East corner of the map and take the Eastern chord of the junction to a new platform in Kew Bridge station.

Brentford’s new stadium and a lot of housing are in the middle of the junction.

It would seem to be obvious to electrify the triangular junction using 750 VDC third-rail electrification.

But not to the ORR it isn’t, as they won’t allow any new third-rail electrification to be installed on Health and Safety grounds.

Charging Trains At Kew Bridge Station

Consider.

  • It looks like trains from Hendon will terminate in a new platform on the chord without electrification to the North of the current Kew Bridge station.
  • A short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be used to charge trains.

It may be sensible to build two platforms on the chord, as this could allow more flexible operation of the London Overground during engineering works.

Charging Trains At Hounslow Station

A short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be used to charge trains.

Project Management Issues

I believe this could be one of those projects, where by careful selection of the order of the sub-projects, time and money can be saved and passengers will see benefits earlier.

For example.

  • Early delivery of Old Oak Common Lane station would also connect the North London Line to High Speed Two and the Elizabeth Line.
  • Early delivery of step-free access at Kew Bridge station would help passengers going to the new Brentford stadium.

There may be other projects, that need an early delivery.

The Feltham And Wokingham Resignalling Programme

The Feltham And Wokingham Resignalling Programme  is currently underway and there are pairs of new and old signals everywhere between Kew Bridge and Feltham and also between Feltham and Richmond.

These are digital signals and according to Network Rail, they will increase the capacity, which must surely allow the extra trains between Kew Bridge and Hounslow stations.

This signalling project finishes in mid-2024, so I suspect by then the Southern part of the West London Orbital Railway will not have any problems with interaction with other services.

The Feltham And Wokingham Resignalling Programme could be considered an important enabling sub-project of the West London Orbital Railway, that is being performed early.

Richmond Station

As I came through Richmond station, there was an Overground train in Platform 3 and I noticed that Platforms 3 to 5 were allocated to the Overground.

Has the new signalling given Network Rail and train operators more flexibility and extra capacity at Richmond?

Currently, the London Overground runs four trains per hour (tph)  between Stratford and Richmond.

The increased flexibility may allow the following.

  • An increase in frequency of trains to Stratford.
  • An increase in frequency of District Line trains, if Ealing Broadway station swaps from being a District to a Piccadilly Line terminus, as I wrote about in Extending The Elizabeth Line – Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway.
  • Could Richmond also act as a terminal of the West London Orbital Railway during construction and engineering works?

Another benefit that could be arranged is to run the current four tph London Overground services into Platform 3.

These pictures show a Waterloo-bound South Western Railway train in Platform 2 and a Stratford-bound London Overground train in Platform 3.

As there are 8 tph between Richmond and Waterloo via Clapham Junction, this could be quite a useful cross-platform interchange for passengers going from say Staines or Windsor to Hampstead.

Trains

Consider.

  • The three most likely Northern termini are Brent Cross West, Hendon and West Hampstead Thameslink.
  • There could be other terminals on the North London Line or the Gospel Oak and Barking Line.
  • All possible Northern terminals have 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  • The two most likely Southern terminals are Hounslow and Kew Bridge.
  • There may be other possible Southern terminals like Twickenham or Richmond.
  • All possible Southern terminals have 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
  • The sections without electrification of the route are less than twelve miles.
  • The ORR won’t allow any new third-rail electrification.

It looks like the trains will need to be dual-voltage with a battery capability.

In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.

AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.

Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift

This was published over twelve years ago, so I suspect Bombardier or Alstom have refined the concept.

In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.

A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.

So for a four-car running for twelve miles, the train would need a battery capacity of between 144 and 240 kWh.

These are not large batteries.

I suspect that the best trains for the route, will be dual-voltage Class 710 trains.

  • The Class 710/2 variant used on the Gospel Oak and Barking Line is dual-voltage.
  • London Overground has 54 Class 710 trains.
  • I am certain, that the batteries needed can be fitted to the trains.
  • Aventras are still in production in Derby.

A test battery-electric version could probably be created and tested on the short Romford and Upminster Line.

There may be other places in London and the rest of the UK, where a four-car battery-electric Aventra would be the ideal train.

 

 

 

April 20, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Is There Progress On The West London Orbital Railway?

This short news item is being shown on Railnews under a sub-heading of Overground Plan.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is reported to have predicted that a new London Overground route in west London could be open by the early 2030s. The link had been proposed by the Mayor in his 2018 Transport Strategy. It would run from Hounslow to Acton Central and the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common. From there it would continue to Acton Wells Junction and then along the Dudding Hill line, which is presently used only for freight, via the existing stations on the Euston-Watford Overground route at Harlesden and the Jubilee Line station at Neasden. Trains would continue from Neasden along the Midland Main Line in both directions to West Hampstead Thameslink and Hendon. It is understood that engineering consultants are being chosen to develop a detailed design.

So is there progress at last on what I feel is a much-needed and affordable addition to London’s railway network?

The West London Orbital Railway

In TfL Advances Plans For DLR And Overground Extensions, I said the following about the West London Orbital Railway.

I have written extensively about this railway and you can see my posts here.

This map from the Mayor’s Transport Strategy shows the route.

I believe this railway could do the following.

  • Level-up much of North-West London.
  • Provide better access to Heathrow.
  • Link West London to High Speed Two and the Elizabeth Line.

It would also provide better links to Brentford’s new stadium.

The New Civil Engineer says this about funding.

TfL now confirms that the West London Alliance has commissioned feasibility work for the scheme. Meanwhile, TfL is considering options for a Borough Community Infrastructure Levy to help pay for it and has been investigating development opportunities on the route that could unlock funds via Section 106 planning obligations and Carbon Offset funding.

Conclusion

It does appear there are ways and means to fund these schemes, without expecting the rest of the UK to fund London’s transport network.

April 14, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Superloop – Will It Be The North Circular Road Most Of The Way Between Harrow And Royal Docks?

This draft map from TfL illustrates the concept of Superloop.

In this post I am considering the section of the the North Circular Road (A406) between the Hangar Lane Gyratory System, where it crosses the A40 in the West and the roundabout , where it crosses the A13 at Beckton in the East.

  • This section is a grade-separated dual-carriageway all of the way between Hangar Lane and Beckton.
  • Hendon, North Finchley, Arnos Grove, Edmonton, Walthamstow, Ilford and Royal Docks are not far from the A406.
  • Several bus routes already run on the A406.

The large Brent Cross Shopping Centre is also just outside the A406 and a new Brent Cross West station will be opening soon.

I’ll now look at the three Northern and North-Eastern sections.

Harrow And North Finchley

This section is shown in orange.

  • It calls at Northwick Park hospital and Hendon. both have rail connections.
  • Brent Cross Shopping Centre could be on the route, if the A406 is used.
  • London Bus 182 runs between Harrow bus station and Brent Cross Shopping Centre via Northwick Park hospital.

Could the 182 bus be extended to North Finchley, where there is a new bus station?

This Google Map shows the stations around the Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

Note.

  1. The railway running between the North-West corner of the map and the  bottom of the map is the Midland Main Line.
  2. The road running between the North-East corner of the map and the  left of the map is the North Circular Road.
  3. The road running down the right hand side of the railway is the M1, which joins the A406 in the large junction.
  4. The other major road to the right of the map, is the Hendon Way.
  5. The station in the North-West corner of the map is Hendon.
  6. The station being built in the bottom of the map on the Midland Main Line, is the new Brent Cross West station.
  7. The station in the North-East corner of the map is Brent Cross on the Northern Line.

I am certain that a Superloop bus could run from Harrow bus station and Northwick Park hospital, and visit the required number of the stations around the Shopping Centre, before trundling on to the new North Finchley bus station for some refreshment before returning to Harrow.

I feel that the Superloop bus could use the North Circular Road from the shopping centre and then turn North on to Finchley High Road (A 1000).

North Finchley And Walthamstow

This section is shown in red.

  • It calls at Arnos Grove and Edmonton.
  • London Bus 34 runs between Walthamstow bus station and Barnet. It runs for some of the way along the North Circular Road and passes Arnos Grove, Silver Street and the North Middlesex Hospital.

I am certain, that a Superloop bus could run between Walthamstow bus station and North Finchley, using a similar route to the 34.

Walthamstow And Royal Docks

This section is shown in lime.

  • It calls at Ilford for the Elizabeth Line.

I am certain, that a Superloop bus could run between Walthamstow bus station and Royal Docks, using a the A406 and the A13.

Conclusion

After this simple analysis, it looks possible to use the use the North Circular Road between Harrow and Royal Docks.

March 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DB Cargo UK Successfully Trials The Use Of ‘Combi-Consists’

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on DB Cargo UK.

This is the first paragraph.

DB Cargo UK is trialling the use of ‘combi-consists’ to increase capacity, improve customer service and improve its efficiency.

The next four paragraphs describe the trial.

This month the UK’s largest rail freight operator ran a unique jumbo train from Belmont Yard in Doncaster to Barking, East London, carrying a mix of wagons for two altogether different types of customers.

The train consisted of two sets of empty wagons – 21 x MBA wagons for Ward Recycling and 18 x JNA wagons for FCC Environment – with an isolated DIT (dead-in-train) locomotive – in the middle.

The MBA wagons had previously been discharged at Immingham in North Lincolnshire and the JNA wagons discharged at FCC Environment’s new waste transfer facility at Tinsley in South Yorkshire.

Both sets of wagons were then taken to DB Cargo UK’s Belmont Yard depot in Doncaster where the jumbo train was assembled. The train travelled from Belmont Yard to Barking via Lincoln Central, Spalding, The East Coast Mainline, Hertford North and Canonbury Tunnel.

There is also a video embedded in the press release, which shows the formation of the train in detail.

This train is certainly efficient, as it uses less train paths, crew and fuel.

DB Cargo UK now intend to trial the concept on a greater portion of the East Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.

I have a few thoughts.

Could The Concept Work With Loaded Trains?

This trial was with empty trains, but would it be possible to use the concept with two shorter loaded trains?

Would there be advantages in terms of efficiency, if the following were done?

  • Two container trains leave Felixstowe as a pair, with one going to Plymouth and the other going to Cardiff.
  • They split at say Swindon and then proceed independently.

Obviously, all the weights would have to be in order and the locomotive would need to be able to pull the combined train.

Other possibilities might be.

  • Stone trains running from the Mendips and the Peak District to London.
  • Biomass trains running from import terminals to power stations in the Midlands.
  • Trains delivering new cars.
  • Trains delivering goods for supermarkets. Tesco are certainly increasing their use of trains.

I would suspect that DB Cargo UK have several ideas.

Could An Electric Locomotive Go In The Middle?

A Class 90 locomotive weighs 84.5 tonnes, as against the 129.6 tonnes of the Class 66 locomotive used in the trial.

So if the electric locomotive can be run dead-in-train, the weight would be slightly less.

But this might give a big advantage, if they ever wanted to run a pair of trains from Felixstowe to Plymouth and Cardiff, as per my earlier example.

  • The trains would split anywhere on the electrified section of the Great Western Main Line.
  • The lead train would go to Plymouth.
  • The second train would go to Cardiff, which is now fully electrified.

There would appear to be possibilities to save carbon emissions.

Could An Electric Locomotive Go On The Front?

Some routes out of Felixstowe are fully-electrified from the Great Eastern Main Line.

It could be possible for the following.

  • Two diesel-hauled trains to leave Felixstowe with ubiquitous Class 66 locomotives and form up as a combi-consist train in Ipswich yard.
  • The Class 66 locomotive on the front is replaced by an electric locomotive.
  • Both Class 90 and Class 92 electric locomotives have twice the power of a Class 66 locomotive, so both should be able to haul the combi-consist train.

The trains would split en-route with the electric locomotive hauling a train to an electrified destination.

This picture shows, what could be an experiment by Freightliner at Shenfield.

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to ask the driver, if the Class 66 locomotive was running dead-in-train or helping the Class 90 locomotive with a very heavy load.

The picture shows, that the electric and diesel locomotives can work together, at the front of a train.

Since I took this picture, I’ve never seen a similar consist again.

Could A Bi-Mode Locomotive Go On The Front?

In GB Railfreight Plans Order For Future-Proofed Bi-Mode Locomotives, I talked about how GB Railfreight had started negotiations to purchase a fleet of powerful bi-mode locomotives from Stadler.

  • Provisionally, they have been called Class 99 locomotives.
  • The locomotives will be Co-Co bi-modes.
  • The diesel engine will be for heavy main line freight and not just last-mile operations.
  • I suspect that on diesel the power will be at least 2.5 MW to match a Class 66 locomotive.

These locomotives could be ideal for hauling combi-consist trains.

Would Combi-Consist Trains Save Energy?

This could be a big driver of the use of combi-consist trains and may push DB Cargo UK to acquire some powerful bi-mode locomotives.

Conclusion

Combi-consist trains seem to be an excellent idea.

 

March 16, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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