The Anonymous Widower

Electrification – The Baldrick Way

Electrification In England

There are two major electrification projects underway in England at the moment; the Midland Main Line to Sheffield and Nottingham and the TransPennine Upgrade between Church Fenton and Stalybridge via Leeds and Huddersfield.

In addition, there are other important routes, that need to be electrified around the UK.

  • Edinburgh and Aberdeen
  • Crewe and Holyhead
  • Newbury and Taunton
  • Cardiff and Fishguard
  • Bristol and Penzance
  • Peterborough and Birmingham
  • Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
  • Felixstowe and Peterborough

There must be loads of other  important routes.

Do We Need Electrification Or A Zero-Carbon Railway?

A zero-carbon Railway is probably sufficient, as that would include traditional electrification.

Are The Electrification On The Midland Main Line And The TransPennine Upgrade Working To Similar Objectives?

The Midland Main Line carries the following services.

  • Long distance expresses between London St. Pancras and Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield, which will be run in the future, by Hitachi bi-mode express trains.
  • Local suburban electrics between London St. Pancras and Bedford and Corby.
  • A variety of heavy freight trains between Chesterfield and London.
  • Various regional services run by diesel multiple units.

The Midland Main Line is a typical mixed railway.

It is electrified between London St. Pancras and Wigston Junction, which is a total of 95.3 miles.

Sheffield is a further 69.4 miles from Wigston and Nottingham is just 31.1 miles.

The maximum range needed by a battery-electric train is 69.4 miles.

The TransPennine Route carries the following services.

  • Long distance expresses between Liverpool and Newcastle and Hull via Manchester, Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds, which are run by Hitachi bi-mode express trains and diesel multiple units.
  • Local suburban electrics around Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds
  • A variety of heavy freight trains along the route.
  • Various regional services run by diesel multiple units.

The TransPennine Route is another typical mixed railway and carries a similar traffic mix to the Midland Main Line.

Much of the TransPennine Route is electrified, with these exceptions.

  • Cleethorpes and Doncaster 52.1 miles
  • Doncaster and Manchester Piccadilly – 61.2 miles
  • Manchester United FC and Liverpool South Parkway – 26.2 miles
  • Hull and Leeds – 51.8 miles
  • Redcar and Northallerton – 28.1 miles
  • Scarborough and York – 42.1 miles
  • Stalybridge and Church Fenton – 50 miles

The maximum range needed by a battery-electric train is 61.2 miles.

This brief analysis indicates to me, that Hitachi battery-electric bi-modes with a range of eighty miles on batteries and charging at selective stations like Cleethorpes, Hull, Nottingham, Redcar, Scarborough and Sheffield could run electric high speed trains on both the Midland Main Line and the TransPennine Route with very little extra infrastructure.

I asked Google AI what is the range of a Class 802 train on batteries and received this reply.

A Class 802 train converted for a battery-electric trial, known as BEMU, has demonstrated the capability to run up to 60 miles (approximately 97 km) on batteries in a trial setting, with real-world data suggesting potential future trains could achieve a range of 100 to 150 km (62 to 93 miles). This technology is intended to allow these trains to cover non-electrified sections of track, reducing the need for overhead wires and potentially saving on electrification costs for intercity routes.

In What Will Be The Range Of A Hitachi Class 800 Battery Train?, I came to this conclusion.

The first version of the battery-electric train will have a range of around a hundred miles, so that they can handle the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line diversion, which is 93.7 miles, on battery power.

But fairly soon after introduction into service, I will be very surprised if they don’t claim the Guinness world record by running farther than the Stadler FLIRT Akku’s 139 miles.

No-one likes being second!

The 93.7 miles needed for the East Coast Main Line diversion via the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line through Lincoln will be more than enough range for Hitachi’s battery-electric trains to run the full length of both the Midland Main Line and the TransPennine Route.

Electrifying A Route

I think that Network Rail have identified an efficient way to electrify an express route.

You start by doing these actions.

  • Get the track layout right, so that trains can use the route at the optimal speed.
  • Update the signalling to a high standard. I suspect digital signalling would be a good idea, to maximise the capacity of a route.
  • Make sure, that the chosen battery-electric express trains can handle the route.
  • Charging stations would be installed as required.

The battery-electric trains would be introduced as soon as the route is ready.

Hopefully with good project management, there would be the following benefits compared to traditional electrification.

  • Difficult sections like tunnels could be left without electrification.
  • Fewer bridges would need to be demolished and rebuilt.
  • There would be less disruption to local residents.
  • Siemens have developed a Rail Charging Converter, which connects to the domestic rather than the National Grid, so is easier to install.

But the big benefit is that new electric trains could probably be introduced earlier, which hopefully should increase ridership and revenue.

Once the expresses were working well, the best way to decarbonise the rest of the services on the route can be ascertained and actioned.

August 26, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve Just Glimpsed The Future Of Train Travel Across The North Of England And I Like It

Yesterday, I had an appointment at Liverpool Lime Street station at four o’clock, so as I hadn’t seen the works for the TransPennine Upgrade for some time, I decided to go the long way round with a change of train from LNER to TransPennine Express at Leeds.

These sections document my day.

London King’s Cross To Leeds In An InterCity 225

I took these pictures on the journey.

Note.

  1. The 31 InterCity 225 trains were built around 1990.
  2. They have a capacity of 535 seats, whereas the newer Hitachi Class 801 trains have a capacity of 611 seats. Both trains are nine cars with both First and Standard seats.
  3. There is more of a step-up and step-down when entering or leaving the trains, compared to the best of today’s trains.
  4. They are now being phased out in favour of ten new CAF tri-mode Class 897 trains, which should be entering service in 2027.
  5. No details are available of the seating capacity of these trains, but they could be between 650 and 700, so they could maximise capacity on any LNER route.

Yesterday, the InterCity 225 performed well, although the windows at the seat where I sat, were rather dirty.

Changing Trains At Leeds Station

I changed to TransPennine Exzpress at Leeds station.

  • At least, Leeds station, is one of the few in the UK, with a ticket office behind the barrier. Reading station please note this.
  • But, I did have to walk across the bridge from one side of the station to the other.

In the end, I caught the TransPennine Express with about thirty seconds to spare.

Between Leeds And Huddersfield Stations

I took these pictures between Leeds and Huddersfield stations.

Note.

  1. Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations is about eight miles and takes about eight minutes.
  2. It is virtually a continuous building site, where extra tracks are being inserted.
  3. Three stations are being rebuilt.
  4. Overhead electrification is being installed. But except for approaching Huddersfield, there’s not much to be seen.
  5. OpenRailwayMap gives the maximum speed between Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations as between 60-75 mph.

The ride on my Class 803 train was very quiet and smooth. Was it on battery power or was I sitting in a coach without a diesel engine underneath?

Huddersfield Station

I took these pictures at Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Huddersfield station is Grade I Listed.
  2. There is a pub in each wing.
  3. I had a beer in the West Wing.
  4. There are currently three main through platforms and three bay platforms.
  5. Extensive works, which will be part of the TransPennine Upgrade,  will include electrification, a new roof, a new footbridge, and two extra through platforms.

Huddersfield station will be the jewel in the Costa del Yorkshire.

The Platforms At Huddersfield Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms in Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. The red and black tracks are being electrified.
  2. Of the current platforms, Platforms 1, 4 and 8 will be electrified.
  3. The two bay platforms; 5 and 6, will be converted into through platforms.
  4. Platform 2 is the bay platform in the South-West corner of the map, that is used by the shuttle train from Sheffield.

I am sure extra platforms could be electrified as required, as there must be a good electrical connection at Huddersfield station.

A Tram-Train Service Between Huddersfield And Sheffield Stations

This OpenRailwayMap shows platform 2 at Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. Platform 2 is the black track at the right of the two through tracks, that are being electrified.
  2. Platform 2 is a bay platform close to the Head of Steam pub.
  3. I estimate that the platform is about 90 metres long.
  4. I suspect Platform 2 could be lengthened if required.
  5. Sheffield’s Class 399 tram/trains are 37.2 metres long, so a pair should fit in Platform 2.
  6. The Class 398 tram/trains can run on battery power and climb hills in South Wales.
  7. Platform 2 at Huddersfield station could be electrified to charge the tram/trains.
  8. There could be a significant height difference between Huddersfield and Sheffield stations of about 40 metres, which could be used to charge tram/trains on the way down.
  9. I feel with some track improvements, that a four trains per hour (tph) service could be run.

The service would call at Meadowhall, Chapeltown, Elsecar, Wombwell, Barnsley, Dodworth, Silkstone Common, Penistone, Denby Dale, Shepley, Stocksmoor, Brockholes, Honley, Berry Brow and Lockwood

The Pair Of Cranes In Huddersfield Station

These can’t be missed in the pictures. But why two massive cranes?

With an old roof to be taken down and a new roof and a footbridge to be lifted into place, I believe Network Rail have decided to bring in two of largest mobile cranes available in the UK, so that all the lifting doesn’t delay the project.

Between Huddersfield And Stalybridge Stations

I took these pictures between Huddersfield and Stalybridge stations.

Note.

  1. The Class 802 train was running freely along a well-laid track.
  2. There are four stations between Huddersfield and Stalybridge; Slaithwaite, Marsden, Greenfield and Mossley(Manchester).
  3. The stations were in reasonable condition, but some needed new footbridges and a bit of refurbishment.
  4. There was virtually no signs of any foundations for electrification.

This map shows the route.

Note.

  1. The pink tracks are the Manchester Metrolink.
  2. The red tracks are electrified at 25 KVAC overhead.
  3. The red and black tracks are being electrified.
  4. Huddersfield is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
  5. Stalybridge station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  6. The pink track in the South-West corner of the map is the Manchester Metrolink branch to Ashton-under-Lyme.
  7. The route between Huddersfield and Stalybridge is shown as it will will be fully electrified.
  8. Huddersfield and Stalybridge is 18 miles.
  9. There are three short tunnels between Huddersfield and Stalybridge.

I wonder, if it would be more affordable to not put up wires between Huddersfield and Stalybridge and use battery-electric passenger trains and hydrogen freight locomotives?

Stalybridge Station

I took these pictures at Stalybridge station.

The station is fully-electrified and has direct services to Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Newcastlle, Wigan and York.

Will Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle Be Fully Electrified?

Consider.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle stations is 180.8 miles.
  • Newcastle and Church Fenton stations is 91.4 miles and is fully-electrified.
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Stalybridge stations is 39.4 miles and is fully-electrified.

This means that the gap between Church Fenton and Stalybridge stations is just fifty miles.

Real Time Trains indicate that the current Class 802 trains on the route run on diesel between Stalybridge and York stations, which is 60.8 miles.

  • Changing power in Stalybridge and York stations means if anything goes wrong passengers can be easily rescued.
  • From what I saw on Thursday, it looks like electrification will be completed between Neville Hill depot and Huddersfield.

I wouldn’t be surprised, if they just electrified to the West of Stalybridge and the East of Huddersfield.

That would mean that the 18 miles between Stalybridge and Huddersfield would be run on batteries.

  • But it would also avoid electrifying three tunnels.
  • How much disruption would be saved, by not electrifying the tunnels?
  • Freight trains would use something like a bi-mode Class 99 locomotive, but it would only need a range of 18 miles on diesel.

I can also see improvised bi-mode locomotives being used like this combination of a Class 66 and Class 90 locomotives.

It was certainly doing its job, when I saw the combination at Shenfield.

August 24, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

UK Solar Applications Spike Ahead Of CP30 But Planning Process Remains Slow

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.

This is the sub-heading.

Solar Media Market Research analyst Josh Cornes tracks the time solar PV developments spend in the planning system, as delays and refusals slow the rate of buildout.

These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.

Solar PV buildout in the UK continues to pick up, with year-on-year growth forecast for 2025, the seventh year of growth in a row.

With government-led initiatives like Clean Power 2030 (CP30) encouraging buildout and the Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism incentivising development, this growth is unlikely to slow down.

However, there are several factors at play stunting this growth, hurting the UK’s chances of hitting the CP30 target of 45-47GW solar generation capacity by 2030.

The article also talks about the problems of grid connections and says that some solar farms will take thirty-three years to get a connection.

In Technology Behind Siemens Mobility’s British Battery Trains Hits The Tracks, I said this.

Cameron Bridge station is lucky in that there is already a 132,000 KVAC electricity connection to the distillery next door.

But at other places, where there is no connection, you could wait as long as seven years to be connected to the grid.

So could the clever engineers at Siemens, devise some sort of electrical gubbins, that connects a solar farm directly to Siemens innovative Rail Charging Converter?

Instead of needing two connections to the grid, the setup won’t need any.

Surely, other types of users could be driven directly, or through an appropriately sized battery?

 

 

May 21, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Technology Behind Siemens Mobility’s British Battery Trains Hits The Tracks

This title of this post is the same as that of this news item from Siemens, which was published in December 2024.

These three bullet points introduce the news item.

  • The Mireo Plus B battery train is rolled out in the East Brandenburg network, Germany, using the same technology as the British Desiro Verve project.
  • The Desiro Verve would save £3.5 billion and 12 million tonnes in CO2 emissions for Britain’s railways over 35 years.
  • The development marks the latest step of this technology’s journey to Britain’s railways.

No-one, including me, seemed to have spotted this news item, especially, since it is significant to both the UK and Germany.

But then parts of Siemens’s home country; Germany and Yorkshire, where they are building, a train factory to build London’s new Piccadilly Line trains have  something big in common – There is a distinct shortage of electric trains and the overhead wires to power them.

So did German engineers, egged on by pints of British real ale, realise that their battery-electric technology for the Mireo Plus B battery-electric train, would turn a Desiro City multiple unit, like the Class 700, 707 or 717 into battery-electric trains.

These are three paragraphs from the Siemens news item.

The innovative technology behind Siemens Mobility’s British battery trains has been rolled out in the East Brandenburg network in Germany.

31 of the company’s Mireo Plus B trains are being phased in to the Berlin Brandenburg metropolitan region, beginning on Sunday (15 December) and is the latest proof point of the technology that underpins the Desiro Verve project in Britain. This follows the debut of this technology on 27 new trains in the Ortenau region of Germany in April, with more set to arrive in Denmark in 2025.

The British Desiro Verve trains would be assembled at Siemens Mobility’s new Train Manufacturing Facility in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, formally opened by the Transport Secretary and Mayor of London in October.

I’d always wondered, what Siemens would do with this factory, when it had finished making the Piccadilly Line trains.

It also should be noted, that the boss of Siemens UK, when the Goole factory was planned was Jürgen Maier, who according to his Wikipedia entry has Austrian, British and German citizenship and is now the boss of Great British Energy.

I believe that Siemens have big plans for the Goole factory.

One thing it has, that at the present time could be a problem in Germany, is large amounts of renewable electricity and hydrogen, so will energy-intensive components for trains be made at Goole?

It will be interesting to see how the Goole factory develops.

The Desiro Verve Train For The UK and Ireland

In the Siemens news item, their Joint CEO for the UK and Ireland; Sambit Banerjee, says this.

The Desiro Verve would be assembled at our state-of-the-art Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire and offers an integrated solution to replace Britain’s aging diesel trains without having to electrify hundreds of miles of track, saving the country £3.5 billion over 35 years and providing a practical path to decarbonising British railways.”

In June, Siemens Mobility identified how the Desiro Verve could save Britain’s railways £3.5 billion over 35 years compared with using diesel-battery-electric ‘tri-mode’ trains. This would support the Government’s aim of removing diesel-only trains from Britain’s railways by 2040.

The British trains would be powered by overhead wires on already electrified routes, then switch to battery power where there are no wires. That means only small sections of the routes and/or particular stations have to be electrified with overhead line equipment (OLE), making it much quicker and less disruptive to replace diesel trains compared to full electrification.

I agree with his philosophy.

The Rail Charging Converter

When I wrote Cameron Bridge Station – 15th May 2025, I described how a short length of overhead electrification could be erected at the station to charge passing trains, using their pantographs.

Cameron Bridge station is lucky in that there is already a 132,000 KVAC electricity connection to the distillery next door.

But at other places, where there is no connection, you could wait as long as seven years to be connected to the grid.

So Siemens have come up with the Rail Charging Converter, that provides a local electricity supply to support the charger.

It is described in this paragraph from the news item.

This OLE can also be installed much more quickly using Siemens Mobility’s innovative Rail Charging Converter (RCC), which makes it possible to plug directly into the domestic grid – potentially cutting delivery times for OLE from seven years to as little as 18 months.

This Siemens visualisation shows a Verve train and an RCC.

This arrangement could be used in sensitive countryside or close to historic buildings.

Modern Railways – June 2025

There is an article about the Siemens technology in the June 2025 Edition of Modern Railways.

It is called The Battery Revolution Starts In Long Marston for which this is part of the sub-heading.

New technology being installed by Siemens Mobility at Porterbrook’s test facility paves the way for widespread use of battery trains in the UK.

The article is a must-read.

Conclusion

Siemens appear to have the technology with their Rail Charging Converter and battery-electric trains like the Verve and the Mireo Plus B, to be able to decarbonise lines without electrification all over the world.

Would larger gauge trains be delivered from Germany and smaller gauge ones from Goole?

I wouldn’t be surprised that a version for a German S-Bahn could share more characteristics, with a small British train, than a large German one.

I can also see an underground railway, that was built without power in the tunnels. So if you were building the Waterloo and City Line today, would it be battery-electric and charged at each end of the line using a pantograph?

 

 

May 19, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cameron Bridge Station – 15th May 2025

I took these pictures yesterday at the new Cameron Bridge station yesterday on the Levenmouth Rail Link.

Note.

  1. The station has a car-park on the coming-home-from Edinburgh platform.
  2. There is a bridge over the River Leven, that appears to lead to new housing.
  3. The step-free bridge appears to be used by local residents to cross the railway.
  4. There appears to be a walking route for the nearby factory, which distills Scotland’s national spirit.

But as the pictures show the station has some unusual features for a small station with one train per hour (tph).

Parking

This extract from the Internet describes the parking.

A car park is available for customers with 125 spaces, including Electric Vehicle (EV) charging and blue badge spaces, as well as a drop off/pick up area and motorcycle parking.

They certainly seem to be expecting lots of commuters to Edinburgh, which is 34.5 miles away over the river.

Long Platforms

As the pictures with the three-car Class 170 train show the platforms are long.

I estimate that the platforms could take a pair of four-car Class 385 trains and almost take a nine-car Class 800 or 802 train.

Is this wishful thinking or prudent future-proofing as extending platforms can be a much more difficult exercise, than building them in the first place.

Perhaps, plans include a lot of housing, a major educational establishment, a sports stadium or some large factories to add to the distillery and long trains will be needed to serve the station.

Electrification Foundations

What surprised me, is that the station has been fitted out with the foundations for electrification gantries. There are five pairs all with four strong bolts to support the gantries over the track. This gallery shows some of the foundations.

 

But what also surprised me was that at no other place on the route between Edinburgh and Leven, were any electrification works visible, except where the electrification is completed between Edinburgh and Edinburgh Gateway.

I estimate that the distance between Cameron Bridge and Edinburgh Gateway is about thirty-seven miles as the train travels, which should be in range of one of ScotRail’s Hitachi Class 385 trains, that had been fitted with batteries.

  • The trains would charge their batteries on the run between Edinburgh Waverley and Edinburgh Gateway stations.
  • The trains would run between Edinburgh Gateway and Cameron Bridge stations on battery power. The eight intermediate stations would not have to suffer diesel trains.
  • The trains would put up the pantograph at Cameron Bridge station and charge the batteries on a short length of overhead wires that will be erected there on both platforms.
  • The train would run to Leven station on battery power, where it would reverse, as it does now and then return to Cameron Bridge station.
  • At Cameron Bridge station, it could even pick up more charge if needed.

Note.

  1. The only new electrification needed would be to electrify both lines in Cameron Bridge station.
  2. Supposedly, Hitachi do a nice line in short lengths of electrification and all the electrical gubbins that support them.
  3. Because of the large distillery, Cameron Bridge is not short of electricity, with a large grid connection visible at the Edinburgh end of the station.
  4. No electrification will be needed over the Forth Rail Bridge, to the delight of the Heritage Taliban.

Whoever gets the contract to supply the battery-electric trains and the partial electrification, will be supplying trains that will cross one of most famous railway bridges in the world.

I also predict, that this short rail link between Edinburgh Waverley and Leven will become a tourist attraction and bring prosperity to the area.

Electrifying The Fife Circle

This OpenRailwayMap shows the whole Fife Circle Line.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrifield, whilst those shown in black are not and lines shown in dotted red-and-black are to be electrified.
  2. Cameron Bridge is marked by the blue arrow, with Leven to its East on the coast.
  3. The Forth Rail Bridge over the Forth of Forth is at the bottom of the map.
  4. To the North of the bridge, the line splits and connects to the large circular railway, which is the Fife Circle Line.
  5. Some trains after crossing the Forth Rail Bridge,come up the East coast via Kirkcaldy to terminate at Leven or Glenrothes with Thornton.
  6. Other trains from Edinburgh take the Western side of the Fife Circle  via Rosyth and Cowdenbeath to Glenrothes with Thornton.

This second Open RailwayMap shows the Fife Circle Line between Cameron Bridge and Glenrothes with Thornton.

Note.

  1. As before, lines shown in red are electrifield, whilst those shown in black are not and lines shown in dotted red-and-black are to be electrified.
  2. Cameron Bridge is marked by the blue arrow, with Leven to its East on the coast.
  3. Glenrothes with Thornton station is in the South-Western corner of the map.
  4. It might even be possible for all trains to terminate on the Levenmouth Rail Link as Leven station has two platforms.
  5. If that is the case, the four tph would make full use of the two long platforms at Leven and Cameron Bridge stations, with the only electrification on the Fife Circle Line at Cameron Bridge station.

This is partial electrification with none of the complexity of full electrication, but with all the power it needs from the electrical connection of a large distillery.

The Wikipedia entry for the Fife Circle Line says this about the electrification.

The £55 million first phase, to electrify 65 miles (104 km) of Fife Circle track, between Haymarket and Dalmeny, for use by battery electric multiple units, was begun by Scottish Powerlines in June 2022 and is due to be completed by December 2024, although this project has been delayed and is expected to completed by December 2025. Further phases will electrify the lines between Kinghorn, Thornton, Ladybank and Lochgelly. This will allow the Fife Circle services to be operated by battery electric multiple units whilst minimising capital expenditure on infrastructure, in particular avoiding the major expense of electrifying the Forth Bridge. Complete electrification would be possible at some future date. The partial electrification was due to be completed by December 2025 but there has been some slippage in these target dates.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Kinghorn, Thornton, Ladybank and Lochgelly.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrifield, whilst those shown in black are not and lines shown in dotted red-and-black are to be electrified.
  2. Ladybank is at the top of the map indicated by a blue arrow.
  3. Kinghorn is at the bottom of the map on the coast.
  4. Ladybank and Kinghorn are connected by a section of the Aberdeen and Edinburgh Line.
  5. Glenrothes and Thornton are to the West of this line.
  6. The Levenmouth Rail Link runs to the East.
  7. Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath are on the West side of the map.

From what I saw yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if the amount of electrification to be performed has been cut back and more reliance is to be placed on on-board batteries.

Class 385 Battery-Electric Trains

The Wikipedia entry for Class 385 trains, says this about battery-electric versions.

During early 2019, Hitachi held a series of discussions with the Scottish Government on the development of a variant of the Class 385, a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) that would be capable of running on unelectrified sections of line along a route. The installation of batteries was reportedly described as being a relatively straightforward alteration to make; an underfloor battery unit, dependent upon size, would be able to power a trainset over distances of 20 to 60 miles (30 to 100 km). The proposal drew upon Hitachi’s existing experience with battery trains operated in Japan, and had been motivated by a recommendation from the rail decarbonisation task force which advocated that such measures be implemented.

A range on batteries of sixty miles would cover the less than forty miles between Edinburgh Gateway and Ladybank.

I suspect that a range of sixty miles would bridge the gap between Edinburgh Gateway and Perth or Dundee.

Does this mean, that I think it could?

If Hitachi’s testing of their battery-electric Class 802 trains have shown phenomenal distances, then this would fit with the distances shown by Stadler’s Class 777 trains in New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery.

This leads me to believe that battery-equipped ScotRail Class 385 trains and LNER Class 800 trains are able to electrify the North of Scotland, with a few strategic charging stations like the one at Cameron Bridge station.

 

 

 

May 16, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fast Battery-Electric Hitachi Trains Between Paddington And Bristol Temple Mead Stations

It was when I was writing Thoughts On Lumo’s Proposed Paddington And Paignton Service, that I realised how significant Hitachi’s battery-electric high speed trains will be.

This page on the Hitachi web site gives this overview of their Intercity Battery Trains.

A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.

Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.

For the purpose of this exercise, I will assume the following.

  • All trains are five-car trains.
  • They were all originally manufactured as Class 800, 802 or 805 trains.
  • They were all originally manufactured with three  750 kW Rolls-Royce mtu diesel generators.
  • One diesel generator in each train has been replaced by a 750 kW battery-pack of the same size, weight and performance.

According to Hitachi’s web page, that I quote above, this gives intercity speeds at the same or increased performance, for 70 km. on non-electrified routes.

I will now look at how a Hitachi battery-electric high speed train would handle the line between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Mead stations.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification between Chippenham and Bath Spa stations.

Note.

  1. London Paddington and Bristol Temple Mead stations are 118.3 miles apart.
  2. The blue arrow indicates Bath Spa station.
  3. Bristol Temple Meads station is 11.5 miles to the West of Bath Spa station.
  4. Chippenham station is in the North East corner of the map.
  5. Black lines are not electrified.
  6. Red lines are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  7. The 93.9 miles betweeen London Paddington and Chippenham is fully-electrified.
  8. Red and black dotted lines are being electrified.
  9. The 24.4 miles between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Mead stations is not electrified.
  10. The residents of Bath Spa are not keen for the railway through Bath to be electrified.

The single battery-pack in the train, will have to propel the train between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Mead stations.

  • On arrival at Chippenham, the battery will have been fully charged on the 93.9 miles from London Paddington.
  • The train will be switched to battery power and proceed through Bath Spa station to Bristol Temple Meads station.
  • The 24.4 miles between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Mead stations is only 39.26 km. so it is well within range of a single battery pack.
  • The trains will be able to reach Bath, as fast as the track allows, so they could have come much of the way from London Paddington at speeds approaching 125 mph.

Hence my belief that Bath Spa could be reached in around an hour without any stops from London  Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads in a very fast time.

There may be a need to top up the battery at Bristol Temple Meads station for London trains to return to the electrification at Chippenham or for other trains to continue their journey through Bristol.

This could be handled by some lengths of electrification in platforms in Bristol Temple Meads station,  where the Hitachi trains terminate.

However, I feel Network Rail will be able to avoid the sensitive and possibly very challenging electrification through Bath.

Conclusion

London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads via Bath Spa trains would be substantially speeded up. Especially, if the first stop out of London Paddington were to be Bath Spa station.

Great Western Railway would only cut out the stops if they wanted to speed up services.

Who’d have thought, that powering services by batteries, would speed up services?

 

January 8, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are Scotrail Going To Replace The Inter7City Trains With Hydrogen-Powered Trains?

This article in The Times is entitled The Caley Is Ready To Roll With New Venture Building Trains.

I feel that this is one of the most significant paragraphs in the article.

ScotRail has indicated that it wants to replace nearly two thirds of its fleet with new, low-carbon rolling stock between 2027 and 2035, comprising about 675 carriages in total, with an initial core order of 64 four and five-car units. A spokesman confirmed: “We are working on a business case that will go to the Scottish government for the procurement of a new suburban train fleet.”

The current Scotrail fleet includes.

  • 25 Inter7City trains which comprise 52 Class 43 power cars and 120 Mark 3 carriages – Diesel – 120 cars – 1975
  • 5 Class 153 trains  – Diesel – 5 cars – 1987
  • 42 Class 156 trains – Diesel – 84 cars – 1987
  • 40 Class 158 trains – Diesel – 80 cars – 1987
  • 30 Class 170 trains – Diesel – 90 cars – 1998
  • 21 Class 318 trains – Electric – 63 cars – 1985
  • 34 Class 320 trains – Electric – 66 cars – 1990
  • 40 Class 334 trains – Electric – 120 cars – 1999
  • 38 Class 380 trains – Electric – 140 cars – 2009
  • 70 Class 385 trains – Electric – 234 cars – 2015

Note the last three fields are the traction type, total number of cars and the build year of the first train.

I will split these trains into four groups.

  • Inter7City – Diesel – 25 trains – 120 cars
  • BR Diesel – Diesel – 117 trains – 259 cars
  • BR Electric – Electric – 55 trains – 129 cars
  • Modern Electric – Electric – 148 trains – 494 cars

Note.

  1. This is a grand total of 345 trains and 1002 cars.
  2. Ignoring the modern electric trains and the total is 197 trains and 508 cars.
  3. The total for diesel trains is 142 trains and 359 cars.
  4. As Great Western Railway have withdrawn their similar GWR Castles, there must be reasons for Scotrail to do the same.

I will now look at replacement strategies, based on this statement from Scotrail.

ScotRail has indicated that it wants to replace nearly two thirds of its fleet with new, low-carbon rolling stock between 2027 and 2035, comprising about 675 carriages in total, with an initial core order of 64 four and five-car units.

I would expect 675 carriages would be about 232 trains, if the current average train length of just under three cars is carried over.

The Effect Of 675 New Carriages

Assuming that no modern electric trains were replaced, this would create a fleet size of at least 1169 carriages.

This would be a sixteen percent increase in carriages, which would be welcome news for some rail users.

The Initial Core Order Of 64 Four And Five-Car Units

All we know of this order, is the number of trains and that they will be new and low-carbon, according to indications from Scotrail.

Low-carbon would mean one of these traction options.

  • Electric trains with full electrification.
  • Battery-electric trains with partial-electrification.
  • Hydrogen-powered trains.

Note.

  1. The heritage Taliban would object violently to full electrification of some historic routes.
  2. UNESCO would probably remove the World Heritable Site status to the Forth Bridge if it were to be electrified.
  3. Scotland is developing a hydrogen infrastructure.
  4. Hydrogen-powered trains have long ranges in the order of a thousand kilometres.
  5. Hydrogen-powered trains are essentially electric trains with a hydrogen fuel-cell to provide electricity as needed.
  6. Hydrogen-powered trains would need very little new infrastructure, except for a network of refuelling points across Scotland.
  7. Well-designed battery-electric and hydrogen-electric trains, should be very quiet and comfortable for passengers.

As an engineer, I would choose hydrogen-power for the initial core order.

Where would the initial core order be deployed?

Twenty-five would be used to replace the carbon-emitting elderly Inter7City trains.

These routes could probably handle the other forty.

  • Aberdeen and Inverness
  • Edinburgh/Glasgow and Aberdeen.
  • Edinburgh/Glasgow and Inverness.
  • Glasgow and South Western Line
  • West Highland Line.

Note.

  1. A lot of diesel trains would be retired.
  2. Trains could be designed, for tourists with proper cycle spaces.
  3. The West Highland Line would get the five-car trains it needs.

This would be a good start.

Conclusion

It looks to me, that the Inter7City trains will be going and will be replaced by new trains.

But will Scotland take the great leap forward and power the new trains by Scottish hydrogen?

 

 

May 14, 2024 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

New Mobile Rail Charging Facility For Long Marston

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article from Rail Technology Magazine.

This is the sub-heading.

Porterbrook has signed a £1.7 million deal with Siemens Mobility to purchase an innovative Rail Charging Converter (RCC) for its Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. The cutting-edge technology will make battery charging and 25kV power supply possible in areas of the UK railway where overhead line equipment is not currently available.

This first paragraph describes the system.

The RCC is a modular and containerised system that uses power electronics to provide a fully compliant, standard connection between the modern three-wire electricity grid and the single-wire railway. It essentially reduces the electrification infrastructure needed by being able to plug into existing power cables and deliver the ideal power supply for trains.

These two paragraphs describe how the RCC was designed and funded, and how it will be used in the future.

The original development of the RCC was supported by the Department for Transport through Innovate UK’s First of a Kind programme. The team will install the novel charging solution at Long Marston, enabling the charging of trains with batteries, fed from existing standard local power supply cables.

Compatible with all overhead line equipment powered trains, the small, low-cost design of the RCC enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on routes without continuous electrification.

I suspect we’ll see other manufacturers like Hitachi ABB Power Grids and Furrer+Frey launch similar products.

This page gives full details of the award to Siemens Mobility.

Project Title: 25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration
Lead Organisation: Siemens Mobility Ltd.

Project Grant: £59,910

Public Description:

The UK rail industry is committed to decarbonisation, including the removal of diesel trains by 2040.

Replacing diesel trains with electric, hydrogen or battery bi-mode rolling stock provides faster, smoother and more reliable journeys, as well as eliminating local pollution and greatly reducing carbon dioxide.

To enable clean, green electric bi-mode operation without continuous electrification requires enhancement of the power supply to existing electrification and novel charging facilities to support bi-mode trains.

No small, low-cost solution is currently available for charging facilities that are compatible with standard UK trains and locally available power supplies and space.

Siemens Mobility, working with ROSCO, TOCs and Network Rail, will deliver a novel AC charging solution enabling simple installation of small, low-cost rapid charging facilities fed from existing standard local power supply cables.

Compatible with all OLE-powered trains, the novel design enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on non-electrified routes across the UK, while minimising land requirements and modifications required to existing station structures.

£59,910 seems to be good value for the helping with the design of a universal charging system for 25 KVAC battery-electric trains in the UK.

I have a few thoughts.

Will The Rail Charging Converter (RCC) Charge Third Rail Trains?

As new third-rail systems are effectively systems non grata, I suspect that third-rail trains will be charged by fitting a pantograph and the appropriate electrical gubbins.

Most modern third-rail electrical multiple units have a roof that is ready for a pantograph and can be converted into dual-voltage trains.

What Trains Will Be Able To Be Charged Using An RCC?

I suspect it will be any train with a battery, a pantograph and the appropriate electrical gubbins.

Battery-electric trains that could have a pantograph include.

  • Alstom Electrostar and Aventra
  • CAF Civity
  • Hitachi Class 385 train
  • Hitachi Class 800 train
  • Siemens Desiro and Mireo
  • Stadler Class 777 train
  • Stadler Flirt and Akku
  • Vivarail Class 230 train

I suspect it could charge all trains in the UK, where batteries have been proposed to be added.

What Is Meant By Mobile?

I suspect transportable and temporary would be a better description.

This gallery show Felixstowe station and a Class 755 train, which can be fitted with batteries.

Suppose that testing was to be done at Felixstowe of a battery-electric Class 755 train.

  • The containerised electrical system would be placed somewhere convenient.
  • A short length of overhead wire would be erected in the platform.
  • The system would then be connected together and to the electrical supply.
  • After testing, it could be used to charge a train.

It would be very convenient for operation of the railway, if it could be installed and taken out overnight.

Conclusion

It looks a well-designed system.

 

December 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Treforest Estate Station – 28th November 2023

On Tuesday, I went to South Wales to look at the progress of the South Wales Metro.

I took these pictures at Treforest Estate station.

Note.

  1. The station has a narrow island platform.
  2. Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert trains go through here. but on Tuesday not all were stopping.
  3. It was rather cold and draughty.
  4. The electrification looks to be of high quality.

This OpenRalwayMap shows the tracks through the station.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
  3. Pontypridd, where the tracks are not electrified is at the top of the map.
  4. The strange squiggle in the South-East corner of the map is Taff’s Well Depot.
  5. The blue arrow indicates the position of Treforest Estate station.

This OpenRalwayMap shows the station at a larger scale.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. Unelectrified lines are shown in black.

I wonder if the drivers will raise and lower the pantograph in Treforest Estate station. Or will this be automatic?

November 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Abercynon Station – 28th November 2023

On Tuesday, I went to South Wales to look at the progress of the South Wales Metro.

I took these pictures at Abercynon station.

Note.

  1. The station has a wide island platform.
  2. The Aberdare and the Merthyr Tydfil branches merge here.
  3. It was rather draughty.
  4. The electrification looks to be of high quality.

This OpenRalwayMap shows the tracks through the station.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
  3. The single-track going North is the Aberdare branch.
  4. The single-track going North-East is the Merthyr Tydfil branch.
  5. There is a crossover to the North of the station, so that trains can go where they should.
  6. The single platform is the grey-shaded area between the two tracks.
  7. The tracks are electrified to the South.

It is a neat simple station, that also allows passengers to travel between stations on different Northern branches.

The Increase In Passenger Capacity

Consider.

  • Currently, there are two Class 150/2 tph on both Northern branches.
  • This means current capacity is 596 passengers per hour.
  • After electrification, there will be four Class 398 tph on both Northern branches.
  • This means future capacity is 2016 passengers per hour.

That is an increase of 238 % in the capacity.

November 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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