The Anonymous Widower

Bicester Village Station – 28th May 2025

I went to Bicester Village station today and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. The station is fully step-free, with lifts.
  2. There is a reasonable coffee-shop.
  3. There is a very large car-park.

There are two trains per hour (tph) in both directions between Marylebone and Oxford stations.

This Google Map shows the station.

Note.

  1. London is to the North.
  2. Oxford is to the South.
  3. The footbridge dates from October 2021 and is not shown on the map.
  4. The London Road level crossing is in the North-East corner of the map.
  5. The London Road level crossing is a problem, as I indicated in Bicester MP Calls On Chancellor To Fund London Road Crossing.
  6. To take the pictures of the level crossing, I crossed the footbridge to the North-West side of the station and walked through the car park to the station entrance on Station Approach. I then walked past the Bicester Bodyshop and Edmundson Electrical to the level crossing.
  7. The Shell garage can be clearly seen behind the level crossing.

During my walk of about thirty-five minutes three trains passed over the level crossing.

These are my thoughts.

The Long Platforms

The platforms are long.

  • The Oxford-bound platform, which is Platform 1, is 240 metres long.
  • The London-bound platform, which is Platform 2, is 230 metres long.

Both platforms will take a pair of five-car Hitachi Express Trains.

It looks to me, that East-West Rail are expecting a large number of passengers.

East-West Rail Plans For Powering Trains

I detailed these in Plans For Powering Trains And Details Of Our Upcoming Consultation.This post was based on an East-West Rail news item with the same title.

Distances include.

  • London Marylebone and Oxford – 66.8 miles.
  • Bletchley and Oxford – 47.2 miles.

Both distances are within range of five-car Hitachi Express Trains, that have been fitted with batteries.

I also suspect other manufacturers could supply suitable trains.

Thoughts On The London Road Level Crossing

This article on the BBC is entitled Level Crossing Petition Supported By Thousands.

This is the sub-heading.

A petition calling for a fully accessible underpass at a town’s level crossing has received more than 3,000 signatures.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

Launched by MP for Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller, the petition calls on the government to ensure any replacement of the level crossing at London Road in Bicester includes access for cars, not just cyclists and pedestrians.

It is set to be closed on safety grounds when the East West Rail (EWR) line becomes fully operational, which many fear would cut off crucial access to thousands of residents.

Mr Miller will present the petition, which can only be signed in person, in Parliament on 3 June.

The argument is certainly hotting up.

But I believe, that a bridge that meets everybody’s requirements might be possible to be built.

  • Suppose that all trains and locomotives passing through the level crossing had to be self-powered. Passenger trains could be battery-electric and freight locomotives could be either hydrogen or battery powered through the location of the level crossing.
  • The track could also be lowered through the crossing.
  • These actions would reduce the height of any bridge taking the road over the railway.

It looks to me that on the Northumberland Railway, which has recently opened, they had a similar problem, but they were able to squeeze a bridge into the space, as this 3D Google Map shows.

Note.

  1. The bridge looks like it carries a two-lane road and a pedestrian/cycle way.
  2. There is no electrification.
  3. I believe that the Northumberland Line could be run by battery-electric trains.
  4. The road bridge has been built to accept all traffic using the railway.

In Newsham Station – 30th March 2025, there are several pictures of the bridge. This one shows the bridge with a train.

In Trains: £34m For Revival Of 50-Year-Old North-East Railway Line, I said this about battery-electric trains for the Northumberland Line.

I’m drawn inextricably to the conclusion, that the trains should be 100 mph battery-electric trains.

Hitachi, who have a factory in the North-East, have announced their Regional Battery Train in July 2020, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.

These trains can be based on Class 385 trains.

  • They are 100 mph trains.
  • They come in three- and four-cars lengths.
  • The three-car trains have 206 seats.
  • They can work in pairs.
  • They can use 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  • They have a range of 90 kilometres or 56 miles on battery power.
  • The batteries would be charged on the ECML between Benton North junction and Newcastle station.
  • The battery packs will be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation in Sunderland.
  • They have big windows for the views.

I’m sure Hitachi and Hyperdrive would like a fleet in service, just up the road from their factories.

Could a similar or even thinner bridge be squeezed in at Bicester Village station to take London Road over the railway?

I think it can, if they use some of the latest 3D modelling.

 

May 28, 2025 Posted by | Design, Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Milestone Reached As 250,000th Passenger Journey Made On Northumberland Line

The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Northumberland County Council.

These three introductory paragraphs add detail?

Passengers who have made more than 250,000 journeys on Northumberland Line services are being reminded they can beat the queues for tickets by buying online.

Northern said the major milestone was reached this week, after it began running passenger trains on the line in December, for the first time in 60 years.

Services call at Newcastle, Manors and new stations in Seaton Delaval, Newsham and Ashington, with a journey along the entire route taking around 35 minutes and a single fare costing no more than £3.

This is a good leveling-up story, so why hasn’t the government got a pipeline of shovel-ready new rail projects?

These projects could be for starters.

The West London Orbital

This page on the Transport for London web site gives the current progress and starts with this paragraph.

We’re making plans for a new rail service on existing, underused rail lines in west London that would become part of the London Overground network. The West London Orbital rail service would run from Hounslow towards Hendon and West Hampstead in the north.

The Mayor and Transport for London are probably spending most of their time, thinking of a silly woke name, that no-one will remember and just cause confusion.

The Ivanhoe Line

This article on the BBC is entitled Disappointment As Reopening Of Railway Line Halted.

This is the sub-heading.

The restoration of a passenger rail link through the Midlands has been stopped in its tracks.

These three paragraphs give more detail.

A business case for reopening the Ivanhoe Line rail link from Burton-upon-Trent to Leicester had been submitted before the election, with campaigners hopeful that work could begin in 2024.

But on Monday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Treasury needed to find £5.5bn of savings in 2024 and a further £8.1bn in 2025.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Chancellor said that the previous government’s entire Restoring Your Railway programme would be scrapped, saving £85m.

Note.

  1. I don’t believe this government believes in improving the rail infrastructure in the UK.
  2. But how do they expect people to get around, given their preferred transport mode of electric cars are ridiculously overpriced?
  3. The article on the BBC is a must-read.
  4. Last week Arriva Group announced a new Newcastle and Brighton open access service, that will call at Burton-on-Trent, which is planned to be the Western terminus of the Ivanhoe Line. See Arriva Group Submits Open Access Rail Application To Connect Newcastle And Brighton, Via London Gatwick for more details.

For more on the Ivanhoe Line, read the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line web site.

 

April 26, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Longer Trains Plan As New Rail Line Fills Up

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

This is the sub-heading.

A newly reopened railway line has attracted so many passengers that carriages may have to be added to trains to avoid people having to stand, a council said.

These three paragraphs add a bit more detail.

The Northumberland Line, between Ashington and Newcastle, opened in December after being shut for 60 years but so far only half the six stations are in operation.

County council deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said making the carriages longer was being considered to cope with demand, especially on busy Newcastle United match days.

He described it as a “good problem” for the £298m project where passenger numbers are on course to hit five times the original estimate.

It looks to me that the Northumberland Line is suffering a very bad case of London Overground Syndrome.

The only certain thing, is that as the syndrome will get worse as more stations are opened.

At least the syndrome has a proven solution – The operator just needs to rustle up some more trains.

April 11, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | 6 Comments

Northumberland Line Set To Hit 250,000 Passenger Journeys By Easter

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

This is the sub-heading.

The Northumberland Line is set to hit a major milestone by Easter with a quarter of a million journeys undertaken.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Three of the line’s planned six stations are now in operation following the recent opening of Blyth Newsham.

However, council leader Glen Sanderson was forced to defend the £300 million investment in the railway line at Wednesday’s meeting of the county council.

It followed criticism from former council leader Jeff Reid, who has been a long-time sceptic of the impact reopening the line between Newcastle and Ashington would have.

There’s no pleasing some people.

The line just seems to be following a better pattern to the Dartmoor Line, which I wrote about in Dartmoor Line Passes 250,000 Journeys On Its First Anniversary, As Rail Minister Visits To Mark Official Opening Of The Station Building.

But then Newcastle is a much larger city than Exeter and the Northumberland Line serves more towns and villages than the Dartmoor Line, so it is not surprising, it has met the 250,000 milestone earlier.

I think it’s time to start building the next new line.

April 1, 2025 Posted by | Shopping, Transport/Travel | , | 1 Comment

Changing Trains At Newcastle Station

In the last few weeks, I have changed trains at Newcastle station between the East Coast Main and the Northumberland Line four times.

I took these pictures on Sunday, when I changed twice.

Note.

  1. On my two train changes yesterday, I needed to buy a ticket for the next leg of my journey and I had to walk miles to the ticket office.
  2. The walk was rather straining on my dodgy knees.
  3. There are no signs to the ticket office and I only found it due to a helful human.
  4. In the morning, I missed my connection and had to wait an hour for the next train.
  5. A lot of these pictures show diesel multiple units, that were working the Northumberland Line to Ashington in Platform 1, surrounded by happy passengers.
  6. Platform 1 appears to be able to take at least a pair of Class 158 two-car diesel multiple units.
  7. Platform 1 appears to be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires, even if the Northumberland Line isn’t electrified.
  8. The staff seem extremely pleased with the success of the Northumberland Line.

The staff were very helpful, but it was all very much organised chaos.

But from what I saw yesterday, it appears that something powerful is stirring along the Northumberland Line.

Perhaps what the BBC predicted in Northumberland Line: Railway ‘Could Create Economic Powerhouse’ is starting to happen?

This was the sub-heading of the BBC article.

An “east coast economic powerhouse” stretching from Edinburgh to Leeds could be created if the Northumberland Line rail scheme goes ahead, a public inquiry has been told.

I’m well aware that one busy weekend doesn’t make a powerhouse.

But Northumberland Council must get ready for the next phases of the project.

Larger Zero-Carbon Trains

In Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And The Reopened Northumberland Line, I suggested that Alstom hydrogen trains might be suitable for the Northumberland Line, but these trains have not been seen in the flesh, so they can probably be discounted.

But this is a picture I took yesterday of Platform 1 at Newcastle station.

Note.

  1. The wires of the electrification above the Class 158 diesel multiple unit.
  2. An out and back trip between Newcastle and Ashington is probably less than fifty miles.

In the Wikipedia entry for Merseyrail’s Stadler Class 777 trains, this is said.

In December 2022, a maximum test range of 135 km (84 miles) was achieved, which was “much longer than we expected”.

It would appear that a small fleet of perhaps three trains, that were fitted with pantographs for charging could work the Northumberland Line, without the need for substantial additions to the infrastructure.

In the Wikipedia entry for the new Tyne and Wear Metro’s Stadler Class 555 trains, this is said.

The new trains will be five cars long in fixed formations, with a Jacobs bogie between the inner cars. One centre car will be fitted with a Brecknell Willis pantograph to draw the power from the 1,500 V DC overhead lines. They will also be fitted with regenerative braking technology for greater energy efficiency, and a battery energy storage system that will allow the trains to remain powered and reach the nearest station if the overhead lines fail. This offers the potential to be used on routes that are not fitted with overhead lines that may be added to the network in the future.

As the Class 777 and Class 555 trains appear to be cousins, perhaps those innovative Swiss engineers at Stadler can come up with a 25 KVAC battery-electric Class 555 train, that could charge its batteries in Platform 1 at Newcastle station and then use battery power to get to Ashington and back.

With perhaps a couple of short lengths of 25 KVAC overhead electrification, I feel Stadler could create a battery-electric Class 555 train, that could handle.

How many other branches from electrified main lines in the UK, could be handled by such a train?

How about these routes for starters.

  • Darlington and Bishop Auckland
  • Darlington and Saltburn
  • Preston and Blackpool South.
  • Skipton and Preston via Colne.
  • Lancaster and Morecambe
  • Leeds Metro
  • Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog
  • Middlesbrough and Whitby.
  • Sheffield and Huddersfield
  • Sheffield and Leeds
  • Sheeffield and Manchester Piccaduilly

Sheffield and York

The Class 555 trains would also have other advantages.

  • In the Newcastle area, I’m sure the Tyne and Wear Metro could probably service them.
  • They have the Stadler steps for easy access.
  • Most Stadler trains, tram-trains and trams are good at climbing hills.

Great British Railways could do a lot worse, than buying a reasonable number of Class 555 battery-electric trains.

 

 

March 31, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seaton Delaval Station – 30th March 2025

After I’d taken the pictures at Newsham station, I took the train to the next station on the way back to Newcastle ; Seaton Delaval station.

I took these pictures of the single platform station.

Note.

  1. It is a step-free single platform station.
  2. There are disabled parking spaces.
  3. It looks like charging points for electric vehicles have been installed, but not commissioned.
  4. Two disabled parking spaces will be for electric vehicles.
  5. There is space behind the platform for emergency service vehicles.
  6. There is a shelter and several sets of seats.
  7. The station connects to the local footpath network.
  8. There is good provision of litter bins.

It is one of the best single-platform stations I have seen.

I had a problem, at the station, in that my onward train was cancelled, due to a staff shortage.

However, the guy manning Northern’s Help Point, told me, that there was a pub by the station entrance.

So I walked the two hundred metres to the pub.

Note.

  1. The Hasting Arms has a gluten-free menu.
  2. The lunch was delicious and even the Yorkshires and the desserts were gluten-free.
  3. There is also a shop nearby.
  4. The landlord also said, that the new railway had brought more business.

I was also able to sit in the warm for an hour.

I have only one criticism of the station. There needs to be a local information board, giving a local map, and details of the pub, shop, buses and taxis.

March 31, 2025 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 3 Comments

Newsham Station – 30th March 2025

Today, I went to Newcastle and took a ride to the recently-opened ; Newsham station on the Northumberland Line.

Note.

  1. The road bridge over the railway.
  2. When complete there will be a lot of parking space.
  3. The orange bollards in the parking could be electric vehicle chargers, ready to be unveiled.
  4. The full step-free access over the railway via the lifts is already working.
  5. British Railways, its predecessors and many other countries would have just put in a level crossing.
  6. The Completed platform is wide.
  7. Both platforms already have a shelter.
  8. There are help points, information displays, facilities for those with limited hearing and readers for smart ticketing on both platforms.
  9. There is a ticket machine by both lift towers.
  10. The disabled parking is already marked out.
  11. The brickwork and other workmanship is top-class.
  12. There is space behind the platforms for taxis, buses and emergency service vehicles.
  13. There is enough clearance under the two bridges for overhead electrification.

There is still some finishing off and landscaping to do, but it is a station with everything.

I have some other thoughts.

The High Quality Lifts Are By Stannah

Several of the passengers I saw, were getting on in years.

Does the maker of the well-advertised stair-lifts use station lifts, which are likely to be used by those of reduced mobilility, as a promotional tool?

The Station Will Be One Of The Best Rural Stations In The UK, When It is Complete

I can see other stations on a similar theme being built.

Especially, where a level crossing is to be eliminated.

This Google Map shows the level crossing and former station at Six Mile Bottom, near where I used to live.

Note.

  1. The Cambridge and Newmarket railway goes across the map.
  2. Cambridge is to the West and Newmarket is to the East.
  3. The main Newmarket to London road crosses the railway here in a level crossing.
  4. Newmarket is to the North and London and the M11 is to the South.
  5. There used to be a station here and some want it back.
  6. There have been several incidents on the level crossing and Greater Anglia have had serious damage to more than one train.

A station like Newsham would be ideal here.

I can see Morgan Sindall building a few more on this theme.

Could they licence the design to construction companies all over the world?

I’ve certainly, seen similar layouts in Eastern Poland, where there are lots of level crossing accidents, according to our guide on one trip. But he said Russia is a lot worse for level crossing accidents.

March 30, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Now That’s What I Call A Station!

Newsham station on the Northumberland Line opens on Monday and I was alerted to the design of the station, by this page on the Northumberland Chronicle.

I clipped this drone view of the station from the page.

Note.

  1. It almost looks like two stations, one for the Northbound line and one for the Southbound.
  2. There appears to be a by-pass for those not wanting to visit the station.
  3. There is a traditional step-free bridge with lifts.
  4. Each half-station appears to have bus stops, car parking, disabled car-parking and a drop-off lane.
  5. There is a well-marked walking route to bring travellers to the station.

This Google map shows the layout of the station.

To say it’s different is an understatement. But I like it and I can’t wait to jump on a Lumo to go and see it, in all its new reality.

I hope all those connected with the design and architecture have got evening wear, as given the awards they’re going to win, they’ll need them.

March 16, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Blackstone Secures Approval For $13bn Hyperscale Data Centre In UK

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in Private Equity Insights.

This is the sub-heading.

Blackstone has received approval from Northumberland County Council to move forward with its $13bn hyperscale data centre project in North East England.

These three paragraphs add detail.

The investment marks a major push by the private equity giant into the fast-expanding digital infrastructure sector, as demand for data storage and cloud computing surges.
The project, covering 540,000 square metres, represents one of the largest data centre developments in Europe. It is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the region, creating 1,200 long-term construction jobs, hundreds of permanent operational roles, and up to 2,700 indirect positions.

As part of its commitment to the local economy, Blackstone has pledged £110m to support job creation and economic growth along the Northumberland Line, a newly launched railway corridor. Find out more and meet Blackstone at the Italy Private Equity Conference in Milan.

The Northumberland Line cost £300 million to build. Adding £110 million for job creation and economic growth looks to be a good return for the North-East.

Conclusion

As we have the power, perhaps we should add a few more hyperscale data centres around our coasts.

 

 

 

 

March 7, 2025 Posted by | Computing, Energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Latest Northumberland Line station Set To Open

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Place North East.

This is the sub-heading.

Newsham Station in Blyth will be up and running on Monday, 17 March, allowing passengers to travel to Newcastle in 21 minutes.

These four paragraphs add detail.

It follows on from the reopening of the line in December, when Ashington and Seaton Delaval were brought back into action.

The line has been closed to passengers for almost 60 years, although freight still ran along the tracks.

Morgan Sindall Infrastructure-Rail is the main contractor on the almost £300m project.

Figures released by Northern, which operates the services, show around 50,000 passenger journeys were made on the line in the first month, a figure that has now surpassed 110,000.

Those passenger numbers seem very good and I suspect we’ll see London Overground Syndrome arriving.

It’s already starting to look like the project has been £300 million well spent and we should be looking for more similar projects.

March 6, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

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