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.
- The 31 InterCity 225 trains were built around 1990.
- 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.
- There is more of a step-up and step-down when entering or leaving the trains, compared to the best of today’s trains.
- They are now being phased out in favour of ten new CAF tri-mode Class 897 trains, which should be entering service in 2027.
- 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.
- Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations is about eight miles and takes about eight minutes.
- It is virtually a continuous building site, where extra tracks are being inserted.
- Three stations are being rebuilt.
- Overhead electrification is being installed. But except for approaching Huddersfield, there’s not much to be seen.
- 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.
- Huddersfield station is Grade I Listed.
- There is a pub in each wing.
- I had a beer in the West Wing.
- There are currently three main through platforms and three bay platforms.
- 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.
- The red and black tracks are being electrified.
- Of the current platforms, Platforms 1, 4 and 8 will be electrified.
- The two bay platforms; 5 and 6, will be converted into through platforms.
- 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.
- Platform 2 is the black track at the right of the two through tracks, that are being electrified.
- Platform 2 is a bay platform close to the Head of Steam pub.
- I estimate that the platform is about 90 metres long.
- I suspect Platform 2 could be lengthened if required.
- Sheffield’s Class 399 tram/trains are 37.2 metres long, so a pair should fit in Platform 2.
- The Class 398 tram/trains can run on battery power and climb hills in South Wales.
- Platform 2 at Huddersfield station could be electrified to charge the tram/trains.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Class 802 train was running freely along a well-laid track.
- There are four stations between Huddersfield and Stalybridge; Slaithwaite, Marsden, Greenfield and Mossley(Manchester).
- The stations were in reasonable condition, but some needed new footbridges and a bit of refurbishment.
- There was virtually no signs of any foundations for electrification.
This map shows the route.
Note.
- The pink tracks are the Manchester Metrolink.
- The red tracks are electrified at 25 KVAC overhead.
- The red and black tracks are being electrified.
- Huddersfield is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- Stalybridge station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The pink track in the South-West corner of the map is the Manchester Metrolink branch to Ashton-under-Lyme.
- The route between Huddersfield and Stalybridge is shown as it will will be fully electrified.
- Huddersfield and Stalybridge is 18 miles.
- 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.
Between Walthamstow Central And Canning Town Stations On A 69 Bus
I have a feeling, that the 69 bus route, which currently runs between Walthamstow Central and Canning Town stations, could be usefully extended to become.
- A new route through the Silvertown tunnel.
- A formal connection between the Eastern ends of the Victoria and Jubilee Lines
- Part of Superloop
I took these pictures from the front of the top deck.
Note.
- I was sitting at the front of the bus on the right side of the top deck.
- Walthamstow Central station is served by the Victoria Line and the London Overground.
- The 69 bus runs every few minutes.
- Walthamstow Central station has a well-connected modern bus station.
- Leyton Midland Road station is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
- The Leyton Engineer appears to be a beautifully restored pub.
- The six-lane A12 East Cross Route is crossed on a bridge just before Leyton station.
- Leyton station is on the Central Line.
- Maryland station is on the Elizabeth Line.
- The Great Eastern Main Line and the Elizabeth Line are crossed on a bridge at Maryland station.
- The prominent church is St. John’s, Stratford.
- Plaistow station is on the Metropolitan Line.
- Canning Town station is on the Jubilee Line and is a hub for the Docklands Light Railway.
- Canning Town station is suffering a degree of refurbishment at the moment and is a bit of a nightmare on foot at the moment.
The 69 bus route connects eight railway stations and at least eight railway lines.
The roads are generally wide and there are more trees than in other parts of London.
Historic Ye Olde Swiss Cottage Pub Calls Time
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
An historic north-west London pub which a Tube station and the surrounding area was named after has closed having been in business for nearly two centuries.
These paragraphs add detail to the story.
Campaigners are hoping Ye Olde Swiss Cottage can be saved after its operator, Samuel Smith’s Brewery, closed the pub on Saturday.
The brewery did not respond to BBC London’s questions over the fate of the uniquely designed pub.
Joanne Scott, from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said its closure was a “real loss for the local community and also for London”.
Swiss Cottage Tube station and the local area both took their name from the pub which has stood on the site since the 1830s.
It is not known why it was designed in the style of a Swiss chalet but has become a local landmark.
As I was in the area today, visiiting Finchley Road coach stop and it was a lovely sunny day, I went and took these pictures.
Although in the early 1970s, c, myself and our three boys lived within walking distance of this pub, I can’t remember ever visiting it. If we did go out because of the expense of a babysitter, we usually went to the theatre, a cinema or a restaurant.
In those days, the only pub we visited regularly, was the New Merlin’s Cave, where we would go with friends to see George Melly and John Chilton’s Feetwarmers.
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Plans To Turn Former Station Waiting Room Into Pub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Plans to turn a Grade II listed railway station’s former waiting room back into a pub have been submitted.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
Network Rail wants to refurbish the room at Carlisle’s station, which is now a storage room and kitchen.
The first class waiting room, which was until recently used as a pub, was built by architect William Tite in 1880 as an extension to his original 1847 neo-Tudor station designs.
The plans are part of the £27m Carlisle Gateway project to turn the city’s station into a “national interchange” transport hub, funded by central government, Cumberland Council and Network Rail.
I very much like this idea.
Carlisle could be turned into a national interchange, that was almost unique in the world.
- Rail services across the Borderlands could be improved, to the cities of Glasgow, Lancaster, Leeds, Newcastle and York.
- Rail services could be developed, so visitors could explore the Lake District by rail.
- The Eden Project at Morecambe would be a rail-accessible attraction, that was just an hour away from Carlisle.
- The Borders Railway from Edinburgh could be extended to Carlisle.
- All services would be zero-carbon, with power coming from either batteries or hydrogen.
- Services would be tourism-friendly, with space for bicycles, large panoramic windows and high-class catering.
Current times between London and Carlisle could be reduced to under three-and-a-half hours, with reductions of up to an hour, as High Speed Two is eventually delivered.
The Old Hackney Town Hall
These pictures show the Old Hackney Town Hall.
It is now a pub and Grade II Listed.
Behind the building is the Grade I Listed St.Augustine’s Tower, which is all that remains of the 16th Century parish church of St. Augustine.
The Death Of The Duke Of Wellington
I used to use this pub occasionally, as it showed football on a large screen and served reasonable gluten-free pizzas.
But it is closed because of COVID-19!
How sad!
Down The Pub For The Football
There is a typical man’s pub that does beer and pizza near me, where I go occasionally to watch football, if I don’t fancy watching alone.
So for tonight’s England-Argentina game in the Women’s World Cup, I walked along my road and had a butchers!
There wasn’t a seat to be had, so I may have got my gluten-free beer, but there wouldn’t have been anywhere to eat a pizza.
But it was gratifying to see the support for the women’s version of the National game!
London’s Garden Station
With the English love of gardening, you’d think that there would be lots of railway and Underground stations in the capital, which celebrate gardens.
But there are only three; Covent Garden, Kew Gardens and Ruislip Gardens.
The first is not really a garden now and who has heard of the last, but everybody has heard of the second.
So as I had heard the station had a pub on the platform, I went to take a look.
I just had a glass of real cider, but unfortunately the pub called the Tap On The Line had one of the most coeliac-unfriendly menus I’ve found in a long time.
The piece de resistance, was that the chips were oven chips, which as any coeliac knows are enhanced with wheat, so are not gluten-free. Even McDonalds manage to make their fries gluten-free!
You would be better off bringing a picnic to eat in Kew Gardens, which is four hundred metres away.
It Just Had To Happen!
The Londonist is organising a pub crawl based on Crossrail stations.
Should We Ban Smoking Outside Pubs?
This was the pavement outside a pub near me, on Sunday morning.
Should We Ban Smoking Outside Pubs?
Not only do their customers with a death-wish block the pavement and make it difficult to get by, they leave a lot of mess for our excellent pavement sweeper to clear up.
If nothing else, pubs should be made to clear up the mess their customers create.
The Anonymous Widower 