Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.
These five paragraphs introduce the article.
The mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester have set out proposals for a new railway line between Staffordshire and Manchester Airport in a bid to improve connections to the north.
Work commission by West Midlands mayor Andy Street and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has concluded the new line is the preferred option to tackle congestion on the West Coast Mainline, following the government’s decision to curtail HS2 beyond Birmingham.
A private sector group – chaired by infrastructure expert Sir David Higgins – had been looking at three potential options to improve connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester.
The options included undertaking significant engineering upgrades to the West Coast Main Line, building bypasses at the pinch points on the line and building a new railway between Handsacre and Manchester Airport.
The group, convened by the mayors, is led by global engineering firm Arup with input from over 60 partners from six other firms – Arcadis, Addleshaw Goddard, EY, Dragados, Mace and Skanska.
This paragraph gives the conclusion.
The group has provisionally concluded that a new line – running approximately 70 miles between HS2 at Handsacre and Northern Powerhouse Rail at High Legh – is likely to offer the best combination of costs and benefits.
It looks to me, that this professional approach has led to a sensible answer.
I will now look at the route.
This Open Railway Map shows the tracks to the South of Handsacre.
Note.
- The blue arrow in the North-West corner of the map, indicates the location of the former Armitage station, which had the village of Handsacre to its North-East.
- The red line through Armitage station is the Trent Valley Line.
- Lichfield Trent Valley station is at the bottom of the map.
- The line drawn with large dashes from the South-East corner of the map is the proposed line of High Speed Two. Red indicates under construction and black indicates proposed.
High Speed Two splits into two.
One branch goes North-West to join the Trent Valley Line, whilst the other just stops after about a kilometre.
- All trains for Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales, The North and Scotland will take the Trent Valley Line, when High Speed Two opens.
- Trains for Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and some to Manchester will leave the Trent Valley Line at Colwich Junction.
- All other trains, will take the same route as now and proceed to Crewe via Stafford.
The red dotted line leading from the cancelled branch of High Speed Two shows where the original fast line to Crewe was planned to go.
This Open Railway Map shows the tracks around Crewe.
Note.
- Crewe is the important junction station towards the North-West corner of the map.
- The orange line going South is the West Coast Main Line to The South and London.
- The red dotted line running along the West side of the West Coast Main Line was the proposed route of High Speed Two from Birmingham, London and the South.
This Open Railway Map shows the originally proposed direct route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Handsacre.
Note.
- Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The blue arrow in the South-East corner of the map, indicates the location of the former Armitage station, which had the village of Handsacre to its North-East.
- The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two.
I feel that this route between Handsacre and Crewe has advantages if it were to be chosen as part of a route between Handsacre and Northern Powerhouse Rail, as recommended by the Mayors and their consultants.
- The route seems to stay well clear of large conurbations.
- A lot of the design work has been at least started and major problems will be known.
- Crewe is the only station on the route, which will need to be upgraded.
- Services to Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales, The North and Scotland will be speeded up.
- With Crewe, Liverpool and North Wales, times could be as High Speed Two promised in the first place.
I feel that building the Handsacre and Crewe section, as originally envisaged, will score high in a benefit/cost analysis
This OpenRailwayMap shows the originally proposed route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Manchester Airport.
Note.
- Crewe is towards the South-West corner of the map.
- Manchester Airport is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The red line going North from Crewe is the West Coast Main Line.
- The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two, between the West Coast Main Line and Manchester Airport.
Northern Powerhouse Rail will go West from Manchester Airport towards Warrington and Liverpool and will join with High Speed Two at a junction at High Legh.
Northern Powerhouse Rail is currently being planned, but surely, if High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail share a line from High Legh to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, this will be a more affordable project.
Services To Crewe
In Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?, which I wrote after much of High Speed Two was chopped in 2023, I said this.
Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and thirty minutes between London and Crewe.
The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Crewe.
- Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and thirty minutes.
- Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-six minutes.
Note.
- That is a time saving of thirty-four minutes.
- High Speed Two Trains will use the direct line between Lichfield and Crewe.
- High Speed Two will also add eighteen tph to the capacity between London and Crewe.
This would seem to mean that any trains going to or through Crewe will be thirty-four minutes faster, if they use High Speed Two between London and Crewe.
If the Handsacre and Crewe direct line is built, it looks like London and Crewe will be the full High Speed Two time of 56 minutes.
Services To Liverpool
Consider.
- Liverpool Lime Street was originally planned to get two trains per hour (tph) to and from London using High Speed Two.
- The approaches into Liverpool were improved a few years ago.
- No more improvements are planned between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street stations.
- Between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street stations currently takes 38 minutes.
- There could be time savings on the 16.3 miles between Crewe and Weaver Junction, which currently takes 21 minutes.
It looks like a time of one hour and 34 minutes could be possible, with under one hour and 30 minutes not being impossible.
Services To Manchester
Consider.
- Manchester was originally planned to get three tph to and from London using High Speed Two.
- No improvements are planned between Crewe and the Manchester stations.
- Between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly stations currently takes 34 minutes.
It looks like a time of one hour and 30 minutes could be possible.
But there is still the option of building a new line between Crewe and Northern Powerhouse Rail at High Legh.
I showed this OpenRailwayMap earlier and it shows the originally proposed route of High Speed Two between Crewe and Manchester Airport.
Note.
- Crewe is towards the South-West corner of the map.
- Manchester Airport is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The red line going North from Crewe is the West Coast Main Line.
- The dotted red line was the originally proposed route of High Speed Two, between the West Coast Main Line and Manchester Airport.
Northern Powerhouse Rail is currently being planned. and will go West from Manchester Airport towards Warrington and Liverpool and will be built first.
A junction at High Legh will be built to link the West Coast Main Line to Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Services To North Wales
Why Not? With the cancellation of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two, there must be a path available for North Wales.
Consider.
- The North Wales Main Line has been promised electrification.
- As Holyhead and Crewe is only 105.5 miles, it could even be in battery high speed train range in a few years.
- All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
- As Crewe and Chester currently takes 23 minutes, London and Chester would take 1 hour and 19 minutes.
- As Crewe and Llandudno Junction currently takes 1 hour and 22 minutes, London and Llandudno Junction would take 2 hours and 18 minutes.
- As Crewe and Holyhead currently takes 2 hours and 7 minutes, London and Holyhead would take 3 hours and 3 minutes.
Could this open up a fast zero-carbon route between London and Dublin?
Services To Blackpool, Lancaster, Preston, Warrington And Wigan
Why Not, Blackpool? With the cancellation of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two, there must be an extra path available, if it is needed.
Cpnsider.
- All routes are electrified.
- All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
- As Crewe and Blackpool currently takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, London and Blackpool would take 2 hour and 16 minutes.
- As Crewe and Lancaster currently takes 60 minutes, London and Lancaster would take 1 hour and 56 minutes.
- As Crewe and Preston currently takes 40 minutes, London and Preston would take 1 hour and 36 minutes.
- As Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay currently takes 22 minutes, London and Warrington Bank Quay would take 1 hour and 18 minutes.
- As Crewe and Wigan North Western currently takes 33 minutes, London and Wigan North Western would take 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Note.
- Lancaster in under two hours will help the Eden Project Morecambe.
- For some areas of the North West, it might be more convenient to change at Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western or Preston.
Improvements to track and signalling could probably bring benefits.
Services To Carlisle And Central Scotland
Cpnsider.
- All routes are electrified.
- All times to and from Crewe are assumed to be as Avanti West Coast achieve now.
- As Crewe and Carlisle currently takes 1 hour and 55 minutes, London and Carlisle would take 2 hours and 51 minutes.
- As Crewe and Lockerbie currently takes 2 hours and 6 minutes, London and Lockerbie would take 3 hours and 1 minute.
- As Crewe and Motherwell currently takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, London and Motherwell would take 3 hours and 41 minutes.
- As Crewe and Edinburgh currently takes 3 hours and 9 minutes, London and Edinburgh would take 4 hours and 5 minutes.
- As Crewe and Glasgow Central currently takes 3 hours and 3 minutes, London and Glasgow Central would take 3 hours and 59 minutes.
Note.
- Just under four hours to Glasgow Central would please the Marketing Department.
- Selective splitting and joining could increase the number of destinations.
Improvements to track and signalling could probably bring benefits.
Services To Stirling
In ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling, I wrote about Grand Union Trains’s new open access service to Stirling.
There has been good feedback on this service, so perhaps one of the spare paths on High Speed Two could be allocated to Open Access Operators, so that more of the country could have a high speed service to London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street stations.
In the related post, I showed that London Euston and Stirling takes forty five minutes longer than a London Euston and Motherwell service.
This would mean that a London Euston and Stirling service via High Speed Two would take four hours and 26 minutes.
Services Between Birmingham Curzon Street and the North West
Under the plans for High Speed Two, the following services would have run North from Birmingham Curzon Street.
- One tph to Edinburgh or Motherwell and Glasgow via Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Carstairs.
- Two tph to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
But there are now spare paths South of Crewe, so Could a one tph Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street service be squeezed in?
Could The Line Be Privately Financed?
I suspect that building the section between Handsacre and Crewe could be financed in perhaps a similar way, to the Chiltern improvements or the M6 Toll Road were financed.
- The Handsacre and Crewe section is just a simple stretch of rail, with a number of trains passing along it.
- The number of trains passing through, is likely to increase.
- Every train passing through would pay a track charge, just as they do to Network Rail.
- Those with lots of money to lend, like simple projects like wind farms or road tunnels, but think very hard about anything complicated like nuclear power stations or High Speed Two’s station at Euston.
Certainly, my late and very good friend, David, who dealt with the finance of some of London’s largest projects and was on the top table of London’s bankers, would have found a way. It might though have been unorthodox.
But then David was a rogue. But a rogue on the side of the angels.
Conclusion
I have come to these conclusions.
- Building the direct route between Handsacre and Crewe could be good value as it improves all routes that will pass through Crewe.
- Combining High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail could substantially cut the costs of both routes to the centre of Manchester.
- London and Crewe times should be 56 minutes.
- London and Liverpool Lime Street times could be under one hour and thirty minutes.
- London and Manchester Piccadilly times could start at one hour and thirty minutes and reduce when Northern Powerhouse Rail is built and linked to the West Coast Main Line.
- London and Holyhead could be just over three hours and could open up a fast zero-carbon route between London and Dublin.
- London and Lancaster in under two hours could help the Eden Project Morecambe.
It’s certainly not a bad plan and it should be looked at in more detail.
Is Alstom’s Proposal For A Service Between London Euston And Wrexham Part Of A Cunning Plan?
Alstom have built and introduced into service between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven in Germany, the Coradia iLint hydrogen-powered train. The prototype has performed demonstrations in Austria, Canada, The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
This picture shows a Coradia iLint in Germany.
In the UK, Alstom had a plan to convert redundant Class 321 trains into a fleet of hydrogen-powered trains called Breeze, which I wrote about in Hydrogen Trains Ready To Steam Ahead, in January 2019.
This visualisation is from Alstom.
I suspect it didn’t appeal to train companies, as no orders appear to have been received.
But you can’t criticise Alstom for not trying, as in November 2021, they signed an agreement with Eversholt Rail Group to develop a hydrogen-powered Aventra, which I wrote about in Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet.
This visualisation is from Alstom.
Visually, it looks just like any other Aventra and much better than the previous Breeze design.
In March 2018, I wrote Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, which was based on this article in Rail Magazine.
These are a few points from the article.
- Development has already started.
- Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
- The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
- The trains will be built at Derby.
- Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
- Export of trains is a possibility.
- Bombardier’s spokesman also said, that they have offered the train to three new franchises. East Midlands, West Coast Partnership and CrossCountry.
Have Alstom looked at what they bought from Bombardier and decided the following train is possible, if they add some of their technology?
- A train the size needed by the customer, up to a length of at least ten cars.
- 125 mph under 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- 100 mph with 750 VDC third rail electrification.
- Running on hydrogen away from electrification.
- 100 mph maximum speed running on hydrogen.
- A range of perhaps 500 miles, if it can emulate the hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint.
A train with this specification would have several applications in the UK.
- Fully-electric routes.
- Electric routes with perhaps a hundred miles of unelectrified track.
- Scenic routes, where the Nimbies wouldn’t like electrification.
These points should also be born in mind.
- There are now 110 mph Aventras in service with West Midland Trains on the West Coast Main Line.
- I recently came back from Cardiff to London in a twelve-car Class 387 train and there wasn’t too many unhappy passengers. It was certainly better than a rail replacement bus. I wrote about the trip in Cardiff To Reading In A Class 387 Train.
- Alstom believe you can certainly fit their hydrogen gubbins in an Aventra.
- The hydrogen gubbins appear to be from Cummins, who have a worldwide support network.
- Cummins can also supply complete hydrogen support systems. A truck can refuel the train, at one end of the route?
- Alstom have been doing the market research with the hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint, so I suppose they know what the market needs.
Could Alstom, with help from Cummins, have a zero-carbon 200 kph train and support systems, which has a hydrogen range of up to a thousand kms for export markets like the United States, Africa, Australia, India and South America?
Two big world-leading companies are surely better than one!
But Alstom has one big problem!
How do you fully test a 125 mph hydrogen-powered train?
- I know with aircraft, if you change the engine type on an existing aircraft, you only have to certify the engine and this is done on a Supplementary Type Certificate.
- Is it the same with trains, so a 110 mph Class 730 train, which is in service with West Midlands Trains, could be the basis of certifying a hydrogen-powered Aventra?
- The Coradia iLint was only a change from diesel to a hybrid hydrogen-electric engine, so was it certified this way?
- With the Coradia iLint, it seemed to go into service quite quickly, so did it do much of the testing in service?
I looks to me, that London Euston and Wrexham is an ideal route for a hydrogen bi-mode 125 mph train.
- The route has electrified sections, some of which have high operating speeds.
- The route has a convenient hydrogen supply from INEOS at Runcorn at the Northern end.
- Change between hydrogen and electric power would always take place in a station.
- A round trip needs less than 200 miles of running on hydrogen.
- South of Nuneaton, no hydrogen is used, so the train will be like a Class 730 train, that already uses the route.
- There are depots that can service Aventras on the route.
It is certainly a possibility, that the London Euston and Wrexham service will be used to test and showcase Alstom’s new Hydrogen Aventra.
Alstom Plans To Operate Its Own Passenger Train Service In The UK For The First Time
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Alstom.
These two bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Alstom is partnering with SLC Rail to form a new open access rail operation between North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London
- Formal application now being submitted to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) with passenger service sought from 2025
These are the first three paragraphs.
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, plans to operate a new passenger rail service across England and Wales. Working in partnership with consultancy SLC Rail, the open access operation will be known as Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR).
As the country’s foremost supplier of new trains and train services, and a leading signalling and infrastructure provider, Alstom will operate its own rail service in the UK for the first time.
WSMR is seeking to introduce direct connectivity to and from North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London that doesn’t exist today, linking growing communities and businesses, and making rail travel more convenient, enjoyable and affordable.
I can’t remember a service proposal being put forward by a train manufacturer since the privatisation of UK’s railways in the 1990s.
This is some more information and my thoughts.
The Route
This paragraph from the press release, describes the route.
The proposal envisages a service of five trains per day in each direction Monday to Saturday, with four travelling both ways on Sundays. Trains will stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Darlaston, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes on their journey between Wrexham General and London Euston.
Note.
- The proposed call at the new Darlaston station.
- The route is electrified between Euston and Nuneaton and Walsall and Wolverhampton.
- Much of the route North of Nuneaton is on tracks with a maximum speed of 70-80 mph.
The route is in these sections.
- Euston and Nuneaton – 96.7 miles – electrified
- Nuneaton and Walsall – 26.7 miles
- Walsall and Wolverhampton – 6.7 miles – electrified
- Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury – 29.7 miles
- Shrewsbury and Wrexham General – 30.3 miles
That is a total of 190.1 miles or 380.2 miles round trip.
I suspect that the service will need bi-mode trains.
Should The Service Call At Wellington?
This article on the BBC is entitled Rail Company Urged Not To Forget Wellington.
This is the sub-heading.
A rail company which is bidding to bring back a direct service between Shropshire and London has been urged not to forget a town.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway said it was preparing to apply to the government to run the service.
Trains would stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coleshill and Nuneaton.
But Telford and Wrekin Council said the omission of Wellington as a stop was “short-sighted”.
Although Wellington is smaller than than Shrewsbury and Telford, it looks like a bit of analysis would provide a solution, that would be acceptable for all parties.
The Trains
In the press release, this phrase is used.
positive impact to both communities and the environment.
I can’t see any more electrification being erected on the route, so the trains will need to be bi-mode.
- Bi-mode diesel trains won’t have a positive impact on the environment.
- As the route between Wolverhampton and Wrexham General is not electrified, a battery-electric train would need a range of at least 60 miles or 120 miles for the round trip, if there were no charging at Wrexham General.
- But Alston are developing a Hydrogen Aventra, which I wrote about in Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet.
So could Alstom be using this route to trial and showcase their new Hydrogen Aventra?
I believe that the route will be very suitable for a hydrogen train.
- Changeover between electric and hydrogen power can always take place in a station.
- All hydrogen refuelling could be performed at one end of the route.
- A large proportion of the UK’s green hydrogen is produced by INEOS at Runcorn, which is less than fifty miles from Wrexham. A refuelling tanker could supply the train, as they do on some hydrogen routes in Germany.
- London has only small amounts of hydrogen infrastructure.
I suspect that refuelling will be done at the Wrexham end of the route.
This Alstom visualisation shows the train.
But it is only a three-car train.
- That is not a problem, as Aventras can be lengthened as required to the length required for the number of passengers.
- Some Aventras, like the Class 701 trains for South Western Railway, have even been ordered as ten-car trains.
- Two three-car trains may also be the ideal capacity, running as a six-car train.
So capacity will not be a problem.
If it is assumed that Alstom’s trains for the WSMR route, can use the overhead wires, where they exist, each trip between Wrexham General and London will require a total of 86.7 miles or 140 kilometres of running on hydrogen.
- A round trip will therefor require 280 kilometres of running on hydrogen.
- But between London Euston and Nuneaton, it will just be another electric train.
- I suspect that like the similar Class 730 train, it will be capable of 110 mph on the West Coast Main Line.
- Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen train has a range of around a 500-800 kilometres on hydrogen.
- The WSMR trains will probably be 100 mph trains using hydrogen on a route, where that speed is possible.
So if a Hydrogen Aventra has a similar range to the Coradia iLint, it will be able to do two round trips before refuelling.
How Long Will The Service Take?
West Midlands Trains, who use the similar Class 730 trains take one hour and eleven minutes between London Euston and Nuneaton with a single stop at Milton Keynes Central.
As the WSMR trains will use the same route, I suspect the same time can be used.
As Nuneaton and Wrexham General are 93.4 miles apart a table can be created showing the time for the rest of the journey for different average speeds
- 50 mph – 1 hour 52 minutes – 3 hours 3 minutes.
- 60 mph – 1 hour 33 minutes – 2 hours 44 minutes.
- 70 mph – 1 hour 20 minutes – 2 hours 31 minutes.
- 80 mph – 1 hour 10 minutes – 2 hours 21 minutes.
Note.
- The first time is the Nuneaton and Wrexham General time and the second time is the overall journey time.
- Typical Avanti West Coast services via Crewe and a change at Chester, take between two-and-a-half and three hours.
I suspect, if the WSMR trains can keep the speed up through the Midlands, that two hours and 30 minutes could be possible.
Could The Hydrogen Aventra Run At 125 mph Under The Wires?
In March 2018, I wrote Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, which was based on this article in Rail Magazine.
These are a few points from the article.
- Development has already started.
- Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
- The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
- The trains will be built at Derby.
- Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
- Export of trains is a possibility.
- Bombardier’s spokesman also said, that they have offered the train to three new franchises. East Midlands, West Coast Partnership and CrossCountry.
Have Alstom looked at what they bought from Bombardier and decided the following train is possible?
- Five-cars or what the customer needs.
- 125 mph under the wires.
- Running on hydrogen away from the wires.
- 100 mph on tracks without electrification.
Obviously, maximum speeds would depend on track limits.
Looking at 125 mph Avanti West Coast trains that have a Milton Keynes stop between London Euston and Nuneaton, they can reach Nuneaton ten minutes quicker than West Midlands Trains 110 mph Class 730 trains.
Two hours and 30 minutes between London Euston and Wrexham is looking increasingly possible.
Are we seeing an audacious proposal from Alston to sell new trains to CrossCountry and a host of other franchises?
Conclusion
London Euston and Wrexham would appear to be an excellent route for an Aventra-based hydrogen train.
- It can probably cruise at 110 mph on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Nuneaton.
- All switchovers between electrification and hydrogen can be performed in electrified stations.
- Hydrogen would only be used North of Nuneaton.
- The train can be refuelled at Wrexham General, with fuel supplied from INEOS at Runcorn.
- Given the typical 1000 km. range of hydrogen trains, a train can probably do three round trips without refuelling.
I can see this being a service with an excellent operational record.
ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from the Office of Rail and Road.
This is the sub-heading.
The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central Scotland.
These five paragraphs detail the ORR’s decision.
ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase competition.
Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe (subject to agreement between Grand Union Trains and Network Rail), Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers, significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on the network.
The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with government.
Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.
Note.
- The Grand Union service appears to be running into London Euston. Earlier plans had it terminating at Queen’s Park station.
- Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
- London Euston and Stirling is electrified all the way.
- The third open access service, that the ORR has approved is the Lumo service between King’s Cross and Edinburgh via the East Coast Main Line.
I have a few thoughts.
Stirling Is An Ideal Place To Explore Central Scotland By Train
In Stirling, I give the reasons, why I spent a couple of days in Stirling, when I wanted to visit several places in Central Scotland.
Note.
- Stirling has direct services to Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth.
- Aberdeen is one hour and 15 minutes away.
- Dundee is just 63 minutes away.
- Edinburgh is just 48 minutes away.
- Glasgow is just 39 minutes away.
- Inverness is two hours and 46 minutes away.
Stirling has about a dozen affordable hotels and guest houses within walking distance of the station, as this map shows.
Stirling would appear to have got Central Scotland covered.
Could The Train Serve Gleneagles?
Gleneagles is about twenty minutes North of Stirling and is served by the Caledonian Sleeper from London.
This Google Map shows the area around Gleneagles station.
Note.
- Gleneagles station is at the bottom of the map.
- The red arrow indicates the famous Gleneagles hotel.
- The pink dots are other hotels.
- Airbnb lists several very splendid properties in the varea.
Not everybody, who goes to the Gleneagles area will be exceedingly rich and I could see the Gleneagles area generating substantial business for Grand Union Trains. I suspect the best way to serve Gleneagles would be a zero-emission coach from Stirling.
Along The Motherwell And Cumbernauld Line
Between Motherwell and Stirling, a lot of the route used is on the Motherwell and Cumbernauld Line.
- The line is fully-electrified.
- It is only 28.9 miles between Motherwell and Stirling.
- \cumbernaukd and Motherwell takes 20 minutes.
I do wonder, if extra stops might be worthwhile.
Motherwell Has Good Connections To Edinburgh And Glasgow
As well as Stirling, Motherwell has good connections to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, so some passengers might find their most convenient route involves a change at Motherwell.
Nuneaton And Scotland Would Get A New Service
Nuneaton has been named by Avanti West Coast, as a place that needs more trains, as it connects with the service between Birmingham and Stansted Airport, via Coleshill Parkway, Leicester, Peterborough, March, Ely and Cambridge.
I suspect that, Nuneaton will become an interchange, between East Anglia and, the North West and West Scotland.
Milton Keynes And Scotland Should Get An Improved Service
Consider.
- It appears that all Avanti West Coast services between Milton Keynes and Scotland, go via Birmingham.
- I suspect that Grand Union’s route using the Trent Valley Line could be faster with similar trains.
- Creating a new route between Milton Keynes and Stirling could be a good move, as it gives one-change access to much of Central Scotland.
- Milton Keynes has good local connections to places like Northampton, Rugby, Tring and Watford Junction.
- Milton Keynes will be a stop on the new East-West Railway.
- From many stations, it will be quicker to go via Milton Keynes rather than Euston.
I suspect Milton Keynes could be a nice little earner.
Will Grand Union’s Trains Be Fitted With Digital Signalling?
Consider.
- At some point in the next ten years the West Coast Main Line will be fitted with digital signalling, to enable trains to run at 140 mph on selected parts of the route.
- Digital signalling will allow extra services between London Euston and Motherwell.
- Motherwell and London Euston is 388 miles.
I suspect, that Grand Union’s Trains will need to be fitted with digital signalling, so they can save time on services and possibly add in a few more.
It will add costs, although the faster speed will surely attract passengers.
Will Grand Union’s Trains Be Electric?
There are these train services going between England and Scotland.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street – 7 tpd – Class 390 – Electric
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street – 5 tpd – Class 390 – Electric
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston to Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Class 390 – Electric
- CrossCountry – Plymouth to Edinburgh Waverley – 1 tph – Class 220/221 – Diesel – Uses diesel all the time
- LNER – London King’s Cross/Leeds to Aberdeen – 4 tpd – Class 800 – Bi-mode – Uses diesel North of Edinburgh
- LNER – London King’s Cross to Inverness – 1 tpd – Class 800 – Bi-mode – Uses diesel North of Stirling
- LNER – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley – 3p2h – Class 800 – Bi-mode or Class 801 – Electric
- LNER – London King’s Cross to Glasgow Central – 1 tpd – Class 801 – Electric
- LNER – London King’s Cross to Stirling – 1 tpd – Class 801 – Electric
- Lumo – London King’s Cross to Edinburgh – 5 tpd – Class 803 – Electric
- TransPennine Express – Newcastle to Edinburgh Waverley – 7 tpd – Class 802 – Bi-mode
- TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central – 2 tpd – Class 397 – Electric
- TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverly – 1 tp2h – Class 397 – Electric
- TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central – 1 tp2h – Class 397 – Electric
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- tph is trains per hour.
- tp2h is trains per two hours.
- LNER services to Glasgow and Stirling are likely to be dropped.
- Some Lumo services are likely to be extended from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
- Many services South from Stirling to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street are electric.
The current two tpd direct trains to Stirling are electric and if you change at Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow, it is likely to be an all-electric service.
For marketing reasons, I would recommend, that Grand Union Trains ran electric trains between London Euston and Stirling, as they are competing against an all-electric service.
Although to meet service dates it might be necessary to run something like a diesel Class 222 train to get the service started.
What Trains Will Grand Union Use?
The Wikipedia entry for Grand Union Trains, says this for their London Euston and Stirling service.
In 2023 Grand Union revised its proposal changing its planned rolling stock to Class 22x units, at the same time the start date for this service was changed to June 2025.
I would suspect they will put in the order for new electric trains fairly sharpish.
The new trains could be.
- A variant of Hitachi’s Class 800 trains.
- A variant of CAF’s Class 397 trains.
Would they have an emergency battery un case of overhead line failure?
How Long Will A Service Take?
The service can be divided into two sections.
- London Euston and Motherwell – 388 miles.
- Motherwell and Stirling – 28.9 miles.
Note.
- The 08:30 train from Euston to Motherwell takes 4 hours and 17 minutes with six stops via Nuneaton.
- The Grand Union Trains service will also have six stops and go via Nuneaton.
I would expect with today’s signalling and electric trains, that Euston and Motherwell would take a maximum of 4 hours and 17 minutes.
- The twenty minute time to Cumbernauld could be added.
- The twenty-five minute time between Cumbernauld and Stirling could be added.
It looks the time would be just over five hours.
I doubt there would be much scope for increasing speed North of Motherwell, but could there be savings made to the South of Motherwell?
Consider.
- London Euston and Motherwell is 388 miles.
- Four hours and 17 minutes is 257 minutes.
- Motherwell is on the main London Euston and Glasgow Central route.
This is an average speed between London Euston and Motherwell of 90.6 mph.
By comparison.
- London King’s Cross and Edinburgh is 392.6 miles.
- Journeys can take four hours and 20 minutes or 260 minutes.
This is an average speed between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh of 90.6 mph.
In the next decade, there will be improvements on both the East and West Coast Main Lines.
- King’s Cross and Edinburgh is currently being digitally signalled.
- London Euston and Glasgow Central is likely to be an early priority for digital signalling after London King’s Cross and Edinburgh is completed.
- When High Speed Two opens to Birmingham and Lichfield, High Speed Two trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central will use the West Coast Main Line to the North of Lichfield.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see some track realignment and modifications to improve speeds on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Lichfield.
I can build a table of times between London Euston and Motherwell against average speed.
- 90 mph – 4 hours 19 minutes
- 100 mph – 3 hours 53 minutes
- 110 mph – 3 hours 32 minutes
- 120 mph – 3 hours 14 minutes
- 125 mph – 3 hours 6 minutes
- 130 mph – 2 hours 59 minutes
Note.
- Adding 15 minutes gives a London Euston and Glasgow Central time.
- Adding 45 minutes gives a London Euston and Stirling time.
- Averaging 120 mph would give London Euston and Glasgow Central or Stirling times of under four hours.
It strikes me, that to improve Anglo-Scottish relations and to make rail a better alternative to flying, a priority for all West Coast services is to improve the West Coast Main Line and install digital signalling, so that a 120 mph average is possible between London Euston and Motherwell.
What Difference Will High Speed Two Make?
High Speed Two is claiming it will knock thirty minutes off times between London Euston and Glasgow Central, when it opens to Birmingham and Lichfield.
But Grand Union Trains are not expected to use the new line between London Euston and Lichfield, as High Speed Two will, as it will make calling at Milton Keynes and Nuneaton impossible, as they are bypassed by High Speed Two.
Conclusion
This train service is going to be good for Milton Keynes, Nuneaton and Stirling and all the towns in Central Scotland.
But they must make full use of the available electrification.
Lumo In Discussions To Operate Glasgow Services
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from FirstGroup.
These four paragraphs give more details.
FirstGroup, the leading private sector transport operator, today announces that its popular open access rail service Lumo is in discussions with Transport Scotland and Network Rail to extend some of its London-Edinburgh trains to and from Glasgow.
Having identified opportunities to extend a number of daily journeys to and from Glasgow in the timetables for 2025 and beyond, work will now continue with Transport Scotland and track infrastructure manager Network Rail to agree final route options and timings ahead of an application for access rights to the Office of Rail and Road (‘ORR’), the industry regulator.
If successful, the new services could be in operation from next summer.
Lumo’s proposed new offering will improve links for customers travelling between Newcastle and Glasgow, giving people a choice of services without needing to change trains. In addition, a significant number of users of Lumo’s current London-Edinburgh trains go on to travel through to Glasgow via other connections, and through this move, Lumo aims to offer a direct through service for these customers.
I have a few thoughts.
There Appears To Be A Need For An Affordable London And Glasgow Service
This is the last sentence of my extract from the press release.
In addition, a significant number of users of Lumo’s current London-Edinburgh trains go on to travel through to Glasgow via other connections, and through this move, Lumo aims to offer a direct through service for these customers.
This looks to be a service, that has been suggested by an analysis of passengers’ tickets.
Which Station Will Lumo Use In Glasgow?
Consider.
- The current LNER service between London King’s Cross and Glasgow, uses Glasgow Central station and it takes 66 minutes between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central stations.
- LNER’s service also calls at Haymarket and Motherwell.
- ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street take about 49-50 minutes.
I suspect, that Lumo will take the faster route.
Newcastle And Glasgow Is A New Route
Currently, all passengers between Glasgow and Newcastle have to change at Edinburgh.
This will be the first direct train in my memory, except for LNER’s single daily service between London and Glasgow Central, which stops at Newcastle.
What About The Football?
Glasgow is very much about football.
Would it be possible to use Lumo to see a match starting at 15:00 on a Saturday afternoon, if you lived in London?
- The 05:48 train from King’s Cross on a Saturday arrives in Edinburgh at 10:07.
- Trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow take fifty minutes, so I feel it would be reasonable to be able to get to Glasgow by 10:57.
This time would be more than early enough to have a few swift halves and see the match if it started at 15:00.
But would it be possible to get back to London after the match?
- The last train leaves Edinburgh at 17:55 and arrives in King’s Cross at 22:26.
- Applying the fifty minute journey time between Edinburgh and Glasgow means it will leave at 17:05.
- It appears that from Ibrox and Celtic Park to Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street station is about twenty minutes.
On the current timetable, it would appear to be possible, but tight.
One alternative would be to take the Caledonian Sleeper back to London. But it doesn’t appear to run on a Saturday night.
Coaches do run and an overnight coach costs around twenty pounds.
It looks like if Lumo ran a service about 18:00 on a Saturday to London, it wouldn’t run empty.
Will Lumo Need More Trains?
In the press release, FirstGroup plc Chief Executive Officer Graham Sutherland, is quoted as saying.
Once preferred route options and timings have been agreed, discussions will continue with Network Rail and the ORR to secure the required approvals. The journeys would be operated within the existing Lumo fleet of all-electric trains and it is anticipated that the additional services could begin in summer 2025.
That looks to me, that they will not be obtaining more trains before next summer.
In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I noted that some of Hull Trains services were now running as ten-car trains.
If the passenger demand is there for ten-car trains to Hull, which is almost exactly half the distance of Edinburgh, I would expect that in the future, Lumo will be running some services as ten-car trains.
In Extra Luggage Racks For Lumo, which is based on an article in the November 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, an alternative view on more trains is taken.
The Modern Railways article finishes with this paragraph.
Lumo celebrated its second birthday in late October and was also set to mark the carriage of its two-millionth passenger. It is understood Lumo is interested in augmenting its fleet, such has been the success of the service; while many operators favour bi-mode units, Lumo is proud of its all-electric credentials so straight EMUs are still preferred, although the possibilities of including batteries which could power the trains may be pursued (the ‘803s’ have on-board batteries, but only to provide power to on-board systems if the electricity supply fails).
I find this development very interesting.
As London King’s Cross and Edinburgh and Glasgow are all electric routes, in normal service batteries should not be needed, but sometimes trains have to use the diversion via Lincoln, which I have estimated is 86.5 miles.
As an electrical engineer, I’ve always believed that the emergency batteries in the Class 803 trains are very similar to the traction batteries that Hitachi are developing for the Class 802 trains.
A traction battery, that was capable of handling the diversion would stop Lumo having to cancel occasional services.
Conclusion
An extension to Glasgow looks like it could be a simple and profitable way to extend the current Lumo service.
But it might need some extra trains in the future.
A Lumo service to Glasgow, might be helped by a seven-day service on the Caledonian Sleeper, so passenger could go North on Lumo and South on the Sleeper to get a full day in Glasgow.
More Open Access Services Could Be On The Way
In the February 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths.
The article is mainly about FirstGroup’s proposal for a new Sheffield and London service, running under the Hull Trains brand.
But, this is the last paragraph.
Modern Railways understands First is working on a number of proposals for additional open access services, and this is an early statement of intent. Other existing open access proposals include Grand Union Trains’ plans for London to Stirling and Cardiff to Edinburgh services, along with an already approved London to Carmarthen service, and the recently submitted Wrexham, Shropshire and Midland Railway application for a London to Wrexham service. It is understood other organisations, including MTR and Virgin, are also working up plans for new open access services.
These are my thoughts.
Grand Union Trains
These posts talk about Grand Union Trains services, where a proposal has been filed with the Office of Rail and Road.
- Grand Union Trains – Cardiff and Edinburgh – Cardiff – Edinburgh Open Access Train Service Proposal Under Development
- Grand Union Trains – Carmarthen and London – Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington
- Grand Union Trains – Stirling and Euston – Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions
Note.
- All three services are substantially electrified.
- Cardiff and Edinburgh is not electrified between Severn Tunnel Junction and Doncaster, which is 180.7 miles, but 258.4 miles are electrified.
- Once the Midland Main Line is electrified, the longest section of unelectrified track is the 72.5 miles between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove.
- Carmarthen and London has 145.1 miles of electrification between London and Cardiff and about 75 miles of unelectrified track West of Cardiff.
- Stirling and Euston is fully electrified.
A bi-mode or tri-mode train with an independent range at least 190 miles would be able to handle all three services. It would also allow extension of the Stirling service to Perth, if later that was felt to be a better terminus.
Trains able to be used would include.
- CAF Tri-Mode Train – As being built for LNER
- Class 221 train – Will be released soon by Avanti West Coast.
- Class 222 train – Will be released soon by East Midlands Railways
- Class 802 train
- Class 755 train – A Greater Anglia driver told me, the train is designed for 125 mph.
- Class 93 locomotive and a rake of coaches.
Note.
- All trains except the Class 221 and Class 222 trains would be able to make use of the electrification.
- The Class 93 locomotive option is not a 125 mph train.
- CAF Tri-Mode Train and the Class 802 train have digital signalling as standard, which could allow some 140 mph running.
But I do believe after the completion of the Midland Main Line electrification, a battery-electric high speed train with an independent range of around 100 miles could also handle all routes with perhaps charging in a couple of stations, like Carmarthen.
The services could of course be commenced using refurbished Class 221 and Class 222 trains from Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railways respectively.
I can see a bidding and design war going on between CAF, Hitachi and Stadler to supply Grand Union Trains.
Liverpool Lime Street Station
Liverpool Lime Street station has been updated and has the capacity for extra services.
I also feel, that with the improvements to the West Coast Main Line and especially between Crewe and Liverpool in preparation for High Speed Two, that journey times between London and Liverpool will improve to around two hours.
Given the attractions of Liverpool, this will increase passenger numbers on the route and I believe extra services will be viable.
The Wikipedia entry for the station says this about a proposal from Virgin.
In June 2019, Virgin Trains lodged an application for an open access service from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street calling at Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street to rival the future West Coast Partnership franchise Avanti West Coast from December 2022.
It does seem to have gone quiet.
A Fast Zero-Carbon Route Between England And Ireland
This OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool South Parkway station and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Note.
Liverpool South Parkway station is in the North-West corner of the map.
The orange track at the top of the map is the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.
At the bottom of the map, the long runway of Liverpool John Lennon Airport can be seen.
I believe that a fast link could be developed between the station and the airport.
- Initially this would be a coach.
- But later it could be developed as a tram-train from the City Centre, that also would call at Liverpool South Parkway station.
Operation of the airport could be ideal for up to 30-seater electric airliners.
Destinations served could include.
- Belfast City – 151 miles
- Bristol – 135 miles
- Cardiff – 135 miles
- Derry/Londonderry – 210 miles
- Dublin – 140 miles
- Glasgow – 186 miles
- Haverfordwest – 127 miles
- Humberside – 104 miles
- London City – 176 miles
- Norwich – 180 miles
- Ronaldsway – 89 miles
- Southend – 172 miles
Note.
- Liverpool appears to sit in circle of airports
- An Eviation Alice has a range of 290 miles with 9 passengers.
- The Wikipedia entry for Heart Aerospace, says their 30-seater electric airliner says it has a range of 124 miles or more if less passengers are carried.
- The East-West runway is also in line with the prevailing wind, which should help take-off.
- Liverpool Airport is located such that there is access to plentiful supplies of green electricity and hydrogen.
I will be very surprised if Liverpool Airport doesn’t develop into an airport for zero-carbon flights.
This could attract open access rail services from London and across the country.
Huddersfield
In First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths, I postulated that Huddersfield station could be an ideal extension of FirstGroup’s proposed open access service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
Hull Trains Open Access Model Drives £185m-380m Economic Boost To Region, New Report Reveals
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
Open Access rail operator Hull Trains has announced the launch of a report by Arup, highlighting the significant economic, social, and environmental benefits its services have brought to the Hull and Humberside region.
The key findings of the report are as follows.
- Economic benefits: Since it launched in 2000, Hull Trains estimates that it has delivered between £185m-380m since launch. It also projects those benefits will reach an estimated £325m-700m by 2032.
- Increased connectivity: Frequency between Hull and London has grown to seven trains per day (tpd) from just a single train.
- Enhanced capacity: 10-car trains and additional Sunday services doubled seating capacity compared to 2000.
- Sustainability: Modal shift from road to rail has reduced carbon emissions and air pollution.
- Employment: £35m-£70m (2023 prices) generated in direct employment since launch.
As the report is by respected consultancy Arup, I would put a high level of confidence in the findings.
I have a few thoughts.
Did Hull’s Rail Service Help Hull Become UK City Of Culture In 2017?
In the shortlist, the cities were Dundee, Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay.
If Hull had had just a single tpd from London, would it have been chosen?
Do Hull Trains Make It More Likely That Companies from Outside Will Develop There?
Hull and Humberside in general has GWs of wind energy, several gas-fired power stations and uniquely plenty of storage for natural gas and/or hydrogen.
So if your company uses a lot of energy, Hull would probably be on your short list.
A good well-respected train service to London could help with your choice.
Hullensians Seem Proud Of Their Train Company
In First Class Gluten-Free Food, I described some good service of a gluten-free meal on Hull Trains.
I praised the steward and her mother-in-law said thanks.
Perhaps Other Independent Cities Need Their Own Open-Access Operator?
Hull Trains seems to have been a success and according to the Arup report, Hull has benefitted.
LNER Are Developing Services To Bradford, Cleethorpes/Grimsby Harrogate, Lincoln And Middlesbrough.
Will LNER run services that are tied to the destination, as if they were an open access operator?
Conclusion
Pairing an independent city with its own train company seems a good business practice.
Perhaps it should be done more often?
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Could Open Access Services Use The Elizabeth Line?
In the February 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths.
The article is mainly about FirstGroup’s proposal for a new Sheffield and London service, running under the Hull Trains brand.
But, this is the last paragraph.
Modern Railways understands First is working on a number of proposals for additional open access services, and this is an early statement of intent. Other existing open access proposals include Grand Union Trains’ plans for London to Stirling and Cardiff to Edinburgh services, along with an already approved London to Carmarthen service, and the recently submitted Wrexham, Shropshire and Midland Railway application for a London to Wrexham service. It is understood other organisations, including MTR and Virgin, are also working up plans for new open access services.
The respected Modern Railways magazine seem to think, that we’ll be seeing more open access services on UK railways.
These are my thoughts.
A Simple Example – London Crosslink
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – London Crosslink, I said this.
In the Wikipedia entry for the London Crosslink, this is the introduction.
London Crosslink was a passenger train service operated by Anglia Railways between Norwich and Basingstoke, using the North London Line to bypass central London. Class 170 Turbostar diesel multiple units were used, and the service operated between 22 May 2000 and 28 September 2002, supported by funding from the Strategic Rail Authority through its Rail Passenger Partnership fund.
As it was discontinued and it doesn’t seem to be sadly missed, I’m not advocating its reinstatement, but just looking how it might be run after the full opening of the Elizabeth Line.
But surely, there were good reasons, why the service was run in the first place and there might be a need in the future.
These are some characteristics of the service.
- There were about half-a-dozen services in both directions every day.
- At its full length it ran between Norwich and Basingstoke.
- Stops included Diss, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Colchester, Witham, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Romford, Stratford, Highbury & Islington, Camden Road, West Hampstead, Brentford, Feltham, Staines, Woking and Farnborough (Main).
- Each service seemed to have a different stopping pattern.
- The timetable wasn’t very regular.
- The route wasn’t fully electrified.
It appears that it may have been a difficult service to timetable.
I lived North of Ipswich for some years.
I never used the London CrossLink service, as I had moved away before the service started in 2000.
- I would have found the change to the Central Line at Stratford station useful.
- I would have found the change to the Victoria Line at Highbury & Islington station useful.
- I would have found the change to Thameslink at West Hampstead station useful.
- Basingstoke would have given access to Greater South-West England.
- I could have got a bus to Heathrow from Feltham.
But getting to Marylebone, Paddington and Waterloo would have still been tedious.
Could a replacement for the London CrossLink be routed via the Elizabeth Line?
- The service would use the Elizabeth Line between Stratford and Reading.
- The service would use the Reading and Basingstoke Line between Reading and Basingstoke.
The route has some advantages over the original route.
- Except for the 13.6 miles between Southcote Junction and Basingstoke, the route is fully-electrified.
- Whitechapel will give access to London Overground services.
- Farringdon will give access to Thameslink services.
- There will be a lot of connections at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street.
- Paddington and Reading will give access to Heathrow, Oxford and West of England services.
- Basingstoke will give access to Greater South-West England.
It is certainly an as-useful route as the original, if not more so.
The Trains
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – Will There Be A Need For Long Distance Class 345 Train?, I set out how a standard Class 345 train could be updated with faster running and a more appropriate interior.
As the Elizabeth Line is likely to need some more trains if High Speed Two is delayed, perhaps some extra trains should be ordered fairly soon.
The Routes
Consider.
- A terminal station would probably need to be electrified to the Elizabeth Line route.
- It would need the infrastructure to turn the trains.
These stations could probably be used as terminal stations.
- Basingstoke
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Colchester
- Faversham
- Hoo – See Extending The Elizabeth Line – A Branch To The Isle Of Grain.
- Ipswich
- Northfleet – For European services at Ebbsfleet International.
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Rochester
- Southampton
- Southend Victoria
There will certainly be others.
Why Use Open Access?
Suppose an operator wants to run a service between Bristol Parkway and Northfleet to give the West Country access to European services.
- The operator takes all the risk and Network Rail get track access charges.
- Do Transport for London get track access charges for the Elizabeth Line tunnels?
- If they get their predictions and sums wrong, they lose the money.
But if they get it right, they probably sell it to an infrastructure company at a profit.
Conclusion
I think open access operation might work through the Elizabeth Line Tunnels.
First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from LNER.
This is the sub-heading.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is pleased to confirm that CAF has been named as the successful bidder to deliver a fleet of 10 new tri-mode trains for LNER. Porterbrook has been chosen as the financier of the new fleet. The trains will be able to operate in electric, battery or diesel mode.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Benefits of tri-mode trains range from a reduction in emissions, particulates, noise and vibration pollution, lower maintenance and operating costs and upgradeable technology, with an expected increase in range and performance as technology develops further. Battery power reduces the need to use diesel traction in areas where overhead powerlines are not available.
Complementing the modern Azuma fleet of 65 trains, the new ten-coach trains will help LNER achieve its vision of becoming the most loved, progressive and trusted train operator in the UK, delivering an exceptional service for the customers and communities served along its 956-mile network.
I have a few thoughts.
Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Diesel Engines?
Consider.
- CAF’s Class 195, 196 and 197 Civity trains for the UK all have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.
- Porterbrook are headquartered in Derby.
- Rolls-Royce are headquartered in Derby.
- In Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Agreement Will Drive Rail Decarbonisation, I talked about how the two companies were planning to decarbonise trains using techniques like mtu Hybrid PowerPacks and hydrogen fuel cells.
I would think it very likely that the new trains will have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
Will The Trains Have Rolls-Royce mtu Hybrid PowerPacks?
It was in 2018, that I first wrote about mtu Hybrid PowerPacks in Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Launch First Hybrid Rail Project In The UK With MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.
- Examples of these power packs are now running in Germany, Ireland and the UK.
- The mtu Hybrid PowerPack how has its own web site.
- There is also this YouTube video.
- If CAF use off-the-shelf mtu Hybrid PowerPacks in their Civity trains, there is one big massive plus – They don’t have to develop the complicated control software to get a combination of diesel engines and batteries to perform as immaculately as Busby Berkeley’s dancers or a Brigade of Guards.
- The mtu Hybrid PowerPacks also have a big plus for operators – The batteries don’t need separate charging infrastructure.
- In Rolls-Royce Releases mtu Rail Engines For Sustainable Fuels, I talk about how mtu engines can run on sustainable fuels, such as biodiesel or HVO.
I think it is extremely likely that CAF’s new trains for LNER will be powered by mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
Class 800 And Class 397 Trains Compared
The Class 800 train is LNER’s workhorse to Scotland from London.
The Class 397 train used by TransPennine Express, is a 125 mph Civity train.
Differences include.
- The Class 800 train can run at 140 mph, where the signalling allows, but is the Class 397 train only capable of 125 mph?
- The Class 397 train accelerate at 0.92 m/s², whereas the Class 800 train can only manage 0.7 m/s².
- The Hitachi train has 14 % more seats, 36 First and 290 Standard as opposed to 22 First and 264 Standard in five-car trains.
I will add to this list.
Will The New Trains Be Capable Of 140 mph Running?
As the East Coast Main Line is being fully digitally signalled to allow 140 mph running of the numerous Hitachi expresses on the route, I wouldn’t be surprised to see, that the new CAF trains will be capable of 140 mph.
In this article on Modern Railways, which is entitled LNER Orders CAF Tri-mode Sets, this is said.
The new fleet will be equipped with CAF Signalling’s European Rail Traffic Management System digital signalling. This will align with the East Coast Digital Programme, which aims to introduce European Train Control System (ETCS) on the southern stretch of the East Coast main line from King’s Cross to Stoke Tunnel by 2029.
Later in the article this is said.
LNER has retained 12 ‘91s’ hauling eight rakes of Mk 4s, and the rollout of ETCS is another reason the operator has sought to order the replacement fleet. LNER’s passenger numbers have rebounded more quickly than other operators post-Covid, which has helped make the case for confirming the order.
This does seem sensible.
What Will Be The Range Of The CAF Trains Without Electrification?
The longest LNER route without electrification is the Northern section of the Inverness service between Inverness and Dunblane, which is 146.1 miles. There are also eight stops and some hills.
In Edinburgh to Inverness in the Cab of an HST, there’s a video of the route.
I’m sure that even, if they don’t normally run the new trains to Inverness, being able to do so, could be useful at some point.
It should be noted that the Guinness World Record for battery-electric trains is 139 miles, which is held by a Stadler Akku.
I am left with the conclusion that London and Inverness needs a tri-mode train or lots of electrification. Did this rule out Hitachi?
The Number Of Trains Ordered
The Modern Railways article says this about the number of trains.
The contract includes an eight-year maintenance services agreement with an option to extend; CAF says the order value, including maintenance, exceeds €500 million. When the tender was published the intention was to include an option for five additional sets; LNER confirmed to Modern Railways there is an option to purchase additional sets on top of the base order of 10.
Can we assume this means that other trains will be ordered, if the trains are a success?
Can These New CAF Trains Be Made Net Zero?
This is a paragraph, in the LNER press release.
This new fleet of trains will keep LNER on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045. LNER has already reduced carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared with 2018/19. Per mile, LNER trains produce 15 times less carbon emissions than a domestic flight.
As the new CAF trains will probably have a service life of at least forty years, there must be some way, that these new trains can be made net zero.
Consider.
- I am absolutely certain, that the new CAF trains will have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.
- LNER’s existing Class 800 and 801 trains have Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.
Rolls-Royce mtu according to some of Rolls-Royce’s press releases appear to be developing net zero solutions based on hydrogen or net zero fuels.
This press release from Rolls-Royce is entitled Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests mtu Engines With Pure Hydrogen, suggests that Rolls-Royce mtu are working on a solution.
Routes They Will Serve
The Modern Railways article says this about the routes to be served.
Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.
Note.
- This surprised me, as I’d always expected the Yorkshire routes will be served by Hitachi battery-electric trains.
- But it does look that both Harrogate and Hull stations, have long enough platforms to hold a ten-car train.
- With their tri-mode technology, it also looks like the CAF trains won’t be needed to be charged before returning to London.
The last point would enable them to try out new routes.
These are distances from the electrification of the East Coast Main Line of the destinations that LNER served, where there is not full electrification.
- Aberdeen via Ladybank – 91.4 miles
- Carlisle via Skipton – 86.8 miles
- Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln – 63.9 miles
- Harrogate via Leeds – 18.3 miles
- Huddersfield via Leeds – 17.2 miles
- Hull via Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles
- Inverness via Dunblane – 146.1 miles
- Lincoln via Newark – 16.7 miles
- Middlesbrough via Northallerton – 22.2 miles
- Scarborough via York – 42.1 miles
- Sunderland via Northallerton – 47.4 miles
Note.
- The first place after the ‘via’ is where the electrification ends.
- Carlisle could be a possibility during High Speed Two upgrading of the West Coast Main Line or for an enthusiasts’ special or tourist train.
- Cleethorpes is a possible new service for LNER. I wrote about this in LNER To Serve Cleethorpes.
- Scarborough must be a possible new service for LNER.
- All stations can take ten-car trains, with the possible exception of Middlesbrough, which is currently being upgraded.
- Huddersfield and Leeds is being electrified under the TransPennine Upgrade.
This would appear to show that LNER need enough bi-mode or tri-mode trains to run services to Aberdeen, Cleethorpes, Harrogate, Hull, Inverness, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
But.
- It would appear that the initial batch of trains, will not be serving the North of Scotland.
- Aberdeen and Inverness could be served, when there is enough electrification at the Southern end.
I am also fairly sure, that no significant infrastructure is required.
Do Hitachi Have A Problem?
I am starting to wonder, if Hitachi are having trouble with the designing and building of their battery packs.
- It’s not like Hitachi to allow someone to run off with a €500 million contract from under their nose.
- Are they short of capacity to build the trains at Newton Aycliffe?
But then they’re probably up to their elbows in work on the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
Are There Any Other Routes, Where The New CAF Trains Could Be Employed?
The trains would certainly be suitable for these routes.
- Chiltern – InterCity services.
- CrossCountry Trains – Fleet replacement
- Grand Central Trains – Fleet replacement
- Grand Union Trains – For Carmarthen and Stirling open access services.
- Great Western Railway – Replacing Castles in the South West.
- ScotRail – Replacing Inter7City trains.
- South Western Railway – Basingstoke and Exeter St. Davids and other routes.
Note.
- CAF could sell a lot of trains.
- I estimate that fleet replacement for Grand Central Trans would cost around €350 million
- The specification would vary according to the route.
Could CAF have got the LNER order, because they have the capacity in the Newport factory?
Conclusion
It looks like CAF have done a good job in designing the trains.
I’m also fairly sure that CAF are using Rolls-Royce mtu PowerPacks.
The Anonymous Widower 