TransPennine Express To Stop Using Loco-Hauled Push-Pull Trains In December
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
TransPennine Express has confirmed that it will cease using its push-pull sets of Class 68 locomotives and MkVa coaches, previously designated Nova 3 sets, from the December 2023 timetable change.
These are my thoughts.
The Nova 3 Trains
Currently, the Nova 3 trains are made up from the following.
- 14 – Class 68 locomotives
- 52 – Mark 5a coaches
- 14 – Driving Van Trailers
Note.
- There have been complaints about the noise of the Class 68 locomotives at Scarborough and also at Marylebone with Chiltern Railways.
- The Class 68 locomotives could be switched to freight duties.
- The coaches are capable of 125 mph.
- A maximum of thirteen sets can be created.
- I suspect CAF wouldn’t object to being asked to build some more Mark 5a coaches and driving van trailers.
- The current fleet has a spare locomotive and a spare driving van trailer to allow for servicing.
All locomotives and coaches are a maximum of seven years old, so will have plenty of life left.
The Class 93 Locomotive
Rail Operations Group have ordered ten Class 93 locomotives, with twenty options, which have an impressive specification.
- Built by Stadler in Valencia.
- Same family as a Class 68 and 88 locomotive.
- Electric, diesel and battery power
- 110 mph operating speed
- Ability to pull passenger and freight trains.
- Delivery scheduled for 2023.
I believe that if the Class 68 diesel locomotive of a Nova 3 train, were to be replaced with a Class 93 locomotive, a very useful train would be created.
- It would be ten mph faster, than a Nova 3 train.
- It could use the diesel engine and the batteries to bridge gaps in electrification.
- By adding extra carriages it could be tailored to the needs of a route.
- In Vegetable Oil Fuelling Chiltern Railways Trains In UK First, I discuss how it might be possible to run all these locomotives on HVO to cut emissions.
- It could be quieter.
Could it be a simple way to reduce carbon emissions on a route?
The Successor To The Class 93 Locomotive
Stadler keep innovating in their designs for locomotives and are already building hydrogen-powered multiple units.
I can see Stadler coming up with a hydrogen-powered locomotive, with the following specification.
- In the same family as Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives.
- Ability to do everything that Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives can do.
- Ability to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists.
- Ability to be able to be fitted with third-rail equipment, so it can use 750 VDC third-rail electrification, where it exists.
- At least a 110 mph operating speed.
- Range of at least 200 miles on hydrogen.
Stadler would sell a lot of these locomotives to decarbonise railways all over the world.
Possible Routes
These are possible routes for a rake of Mark 5a coaches hauled by a Class 93 locomotive or its zero-carbon successor.
Hull Trains
Consider.
- Hull Trains is an open access operator.
- Hull Trains currently have a fleet of five Class 802 trains, each of which have five-cars.
- A Class 93 locomotive has a power of 900 kW on diesel, whereas the Class 802 train has 2100 kW.
- The Class 802 train has nearly ten percent more capacity.
- In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I saw two Class 802 trains working as a pair. Does this indicate they have a capacity problem?
- Between Hull and the East Coast Main Line is only 36.1 miles and isn’t very challenging and I suspect could probably be easily handled by a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.
- Adding extra coaches would not be difficult and would probably be less costly than with the more complex Class 802 trains.
- Hull Trains need to have a plan to decarbonise.
- HVO could be used to cut down emissions.
A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.
Would other operators of Class 802 trains like to increase their fleets, by adding Hull Trains’s five Class 802 trains?
TransPennine Express
Consider.
- TransPennine Express currently have four different fleets of trains, so it must cause problems with the allocation of drivers.
- The Class 397 trains are confined to the West Coast Main Line.
- So that leaves the bi-mode Class 802 trains and the diesel Class 185 trains to work the TransPennine routes.
The Wikipedia entry for the Class 802 train, gives more details of the plans for the Class 802 trains.
During October 2021, it was announced that TransPennine Express, Hitachi, and Angel Trains had agreed to convert one of the former’s Nova 1 trainsets into a battery hybrid train on a trial basis with the aim of supporting the technology’s further development. If successful, Hitachi and Angel Trains have proposed the retrofitting of the entire fleet. In January 2022, reports emerged that the Nova 1 fleet was operating under diesel power even when operating on entirely electrified sections of the East Coast Main Line on account of the insufficient power supplies present along the line; national railway infrastructure owner Network Rail is reportedly set to complete upgrades to the power supplies within two years.
The fleet is also set to benefit from the rollout of electrification under the Transpennine route upgrade scheme. The company’s management has noted that, in the event of largescale electrification being funded and implemented, the Class 802s could have some of their engines removed to reduce roughly 15% of their weight and thus raise their efficiency. Furthermore, Leo Goodwin, TPE’s managing director, has observed that while the Class 802s have an initial maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), they have the capability of being modified for operating at 140 mph (230 km/h) if infrastructure upgrades were to permit such speeds at a future date.
Could an augmented fleet of battery-electric Class 802 trains handle the bulk of the TransPennine routes, with the shorter and unelectrified ones still being handled by the Class 185 trains?
These shorter routes are.
- Leeds and Huddersfield
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
- York and Scarborough
Plans only exist to electrify Leeds and Huddersfield.
I suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed.
Great Western Railway
Could a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches be used as a replacement for the GWR Castles or short-formation InterCity125s?
- They both have four passenger coaches.
- They are both 125 mph trains.
- A Class 68 locomotive could be used on routes without electrification.
- HVO could be used to cut down emissions.
- The Mark 5a coaches would probably be quieter, as they only have one diesel engine.
A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.
Alternatively, five-car Class 802 trains could be used as replacements for GWR Castles.
Great Western Railway also have the problem of decarbonising services between Bristol/Gloucester and Weymouth/Southampton/Portsmouth.
Great Western Railway look like they’re needing some innovative thinking.
I also suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed for other routes.
Transport For Wales Rail
Transport for Wales Rail run a Premier Service between Holyhead and Cardiff using Class 67 locomotives and Mark 4 coaches.
According to the Wikipedia entry for Transport for Wales Rail, they have seven sets of 4/5 coaches to run this service.
If Transport for Wales Rail wanted to decarbonise this route, they would need to replace the locomotives for a zero-carbon unit.
Perhaps, their best solution, would be to wait until a suitable hydrogen-powered locomotive is available and buy seven rakes of new coaches with driving van trailers.
Grand Union
Grand Union has a detailed Wikipedia entry, where this is the first paragraph.
Grand Union is a prospective open access operator who are proposing to operate train services in the United Kingdom from England to Wales and Scotland. Grand Union is headed by Ian Yeowart, who founded previous open access operators Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both to Arriva.
That seems a sound foundation.
- They have permission to run trains between Paddington and Carmarthen starting in December 2024.
- They have also applied to run trains between Euston and Stirling.
- They are now backed by Spanish companies; Serena Industrial Partners and Renfe.
- They are proposing to use nine Mark 4 coaches hauled by Class 93 locomotives.
Consider.
- CAF has a factory in Wales.
- CAF has sold trains to Transport for Wales.
- The Mark 5a coaches will definitely be available by December 2024.
- Mark 5a coaches could easily be arranged as a rake of eight coaches and a driving van trailer.
- Grand Union is backed by Spanish companies.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Grand Union were to use sets of CAF-built Mark 5a coaches for their Carmarthen service. And later for their Stirling service.
A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.
Grand Central
Consider.
- Grand Central is another open access operator.
- Grand Central has a mixed fleet of twelve five-car diesel trains.
- These trains run under electrification on the East Coast Main Line.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for Grand Central trains, they have plans for expansion across the North and to and from London.
- Grand Central need to have a plan to decarbonise.
- HVO could be used to cut down emissions.
A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.
South Western Railway
South Western Railway have an excellent fleet of new or nearly new trains, with the exception of the diesel Class 158 and Class 159 trains, that work services between Waterloo and Exeter trains via Basingstoke and Salisbury.
- Waterloo and Exeter is 172 miles.
- Only the 47.7 miles between Waterloo and Basingstoke is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- Train lengths vary between five and eight cars.
- The current trains date from around 1990 and must need replacing soon.
I wouldn’t be surprised that if after a rebranding with new trains, this could be a popular route.
A version of Hitachi’s ubiquitous bi-mode Class 802 could be used.
But.
- They would need to be ordered and built.
- The third-rail gear, would need to be developed and tested.
- Passengers would be travelling for over two and a half hours with underfloor diesel engines.
An alternative could be a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.
- These trains would be available after release from TransPennine Express.
- They would run in TransPennine Express formation.
- Length could be adjusted by adding or removing coaches, if required.
- The noise is all in the locomotive, which is isolated from the passengers.
At some point in the future, the route could be decarbonised by swapping the locomotive for a hydrogen-electric locomotive with the ability to handle third-rail electrification.
ScotRail
ScotRail have a similar problem to Great Western Railway with their short-formation InterCity125s.
- They have 52 Class 43 locomotives and 120 Mark 3 coaches, which is probably enough for 24 trains.
- Scotland has substantial amounts of electrification.
- I feel that a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches would be a more than adequate replacement.
- Class 93 locomotives could be used where routes are partially electrified.
- Scotland is not going to be short of green hydrogen.
When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be decarbonised.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry have a fleet consisting of the following trains.
- 5 – 2+7 InterCity125 trains
- 7 – two-car Class 170 trains
- 22 – three-car Class 170 trains
- 34 – four-car Class 220 trains
- 4 – four-car Class 221 trains
- 20 – five-car Class 221 trains
Note.
- The fleet is all diesel.
- I’ll ignore the Class 170 trains in this analysis.
- The Class 220 and 221 trains often work in pairs to provide the required capacity.
So how could these trains be decarbonised?
- The InterCity125s and the Class 220 and 221 trains could be replaced by a locomotive-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.
- Motive power could be provided by an appropriate Class 68 or 93 locomotive.
When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be fully decarbonised.
Decarbonisation Of UK Main Line Services
It is generally assumed that the railways of the UK will need to fully decarbonise if the UK and the constituent nations are going to meet their decarbonisation targets.
I believe that my analysis shows that decarbonisation of main line passenger services can be achieved by the purchase of two types of trains.
- Five-car bi-mode Class 802 trains or similar.
- Locomotive-hauled rakes of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.
Note.
- The Class 802 trains would be mainly to augment existing Hitachi fleets.
- Some Class 802 trains would be fitted with batteries instead of diesel generators to handle gaps in the electrification.
- The rakes of coaches would be powered by an appropriate locomotive.
- The lengths of the rakes of coaches would be adjusted to meet the demand of each service.
Initially, the following locomotives would be used.
- Class 68 locomotives would be used on unelectrified lines.
- Class 93 locomotives would be used on full or partially electrified lines.
When the hydrogen-electric locomotives become available, these would take over the routes, which couldn’t be decarbonised by full electrification or by using a Class 93 locomotive.
Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington
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 of the press release.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has opened up the Great Western Main Line to competition and enabled a significant increase in rail services between London and South Wales.
These points are made in the press release.
- The rail regulator has approved the introduction of new train services between London, Cardiff and South West Wales from the end of 2024.
- The services will be operated by a new open access operator, Grand Union Trains, bringing competition to the Great Western route out of Paddington.
- Passengers travelling between London, Bristol Parkway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport, Cardiff, Gowerton, Llanelli and Carmarthen will benefit from an extra five daily return services and greater choice of operator.
- The decision opens up the Great Western Main Line to competition for the first time, with potential benefits in terms of lower fares, improved service quality and innovation for all passengers using the route.
- The application, submitted to ORR in June 2022, was disputed by Network Rail due to concerns about capacity on the network. But following careful consideration and analysis, ORR has directed Network Rail to enter into a contract with Grand Union.
- Grand Union has committed to significant investment in new trains.
- As an ‘open access’ train operator, however, it will not get paid subsidies from public funds, unlike current operators along the route.
ORR supports new open access where it delivers competition for the benefit of passengers. In making this decision, the regulator has weighed this up against the impact on Government funds and effect on other users of the railway, both passengers and freight customers.
These are my thoughts.
The Company
Grand Union Trains have certainly persevered to get this approval.
- The company was created by Ian Yeowart, who previously created open access operators; Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both to Arriva.
- After multiple negotiations with the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), Yeowart must know how to get an acceptable deal.
- Grand Union Trains have a similar application for a service between Euston and Stirling with the ORR.
Grand Union Trains also have a web site.
The home page has a mission statement of Railways To Our Core, with this statement underneath.
At Grand Union we are passionate about Britain’s railways. We are committed to the traditional values of providing a high-quality customer service and a comfortable journey experience at a fair price.
I’ll go with that.
The Financial Backing Of The Company
All the UK’s open access operators are well-financed either by Arriva or First Group.
The ORR would not receive any thanks, if they approved an operator, which duly went bust.
So what is the quality of the financing behind Grand Union Trains?
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled RENFE Looks At Entering UK Rail Market Through Open Access Partnership, which starts with this paragraph.
Open access passenger service developer Grand Union Trains is working with Spain’s national operator RENFE and private equity firm Serena Industrial Partners on a proposed service between London and Wales.
That is fairly clear and would surely help in the financing of Grand Union Trains.
The Route
Trains will run between Carmarthen and London Paddington, with stops at Llanelli, Gowerton, Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway.
A new station at Felindre will replace Gowerton at some time in the future.
There will be five trains per day (tpd).
I have some thoughts and questions about the route
Felindre Station
Felindre station is named in Wikipedia as the West Wales Parkway station, where it is introduced like this.
West Wales Parkway is a proposed railway station north of Swansea, near to the boundaries of the neighbouring principal area of Carmarthenshire, and the villages of Felindre and Llangyfelach. The station is proposed to be situated at the former Felindre steelworks, near Junction 46 of the M4 and A48, and near Felindre Business Park and Penllergaer Business Park. The project is in the planning stages, as part of a wider Department for Transport proposal to re-open the Swansea District line to passenger traffic.
This Google Map shows where, it appears the Felindre station will be built.
Note.
- The Felindre Business Park in the North-West corner of the map, with a Park-and-Ride.
- The M4 running across the bottom of the map.
- The Swansea District Line runs East-West between the motorway and the Business Park.
It looks that the new station could be located on the South side of the Business Park.
When High Speed Two Opens Will Trains Call At Old Oak Common?
When High Speed Two opens, all GWR trains will stop at Old Oak Common station for these connections.
- Chiltern for for Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and the West Midlands
- Elizabeth Line for Central and East London and the Thames Valley
- Heathrow Airport
- High Speed Two for Birmingham and the North
- Overground for Outer London
As Old Oak Common will be such an important interchange, I think they should.
Will The Platforms At Carmarthen Station Need Lengthening?
This Google Map shows Carmarthen station.
Note.
- The station has two platforms.
- There are certainly pictures of the station with an InterCity 125 in the station. There is a picture on the Wikipedia entry for Carmarthen station.
These pictures show the station.
I suspect that the station will be upgraded to accommodate Grand Union Trains.
The Trains
An article in the June 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Grand Union Bids For London To Carmarthen, gives these details of the trains.
- Three classes.
- 2023 start for the service.
- Cycle provision.
- Vanload freight will be carried.
- Electric trains could start between London and Cardiff by 2023.
- In 2025, trains could be nine-car bi-modes.
- South Wales-based operation and maintenance.
- 125 full-time jobs created.
It certainly seems to be a comprehensive and well-thought out plan.
I have a few thoughts on the trains.
What Make Of Trains Will Be Procured?
Consider.
- Lumo’s Class 803 trains were ordered from Hitachi in March 2019 and entered service in October 2021.
- So if they ordered their version of the Hitachi trains by the end of 2022, the trains could be in service by July/August 2025.
- It would probably be easier, if the only fast trains on the Great Western Main Line between London and South Wales were all Hitachi trains with identical performance.
But the Spanish backers of Grand Union Trains may prefer Spanish-designed trains assembled in South Wales. So would a bi-mode version of CAF’s Class 397 trains be suitable?
On the other hand, the Carmarthen and Cardiff section of the route without a reverse at Swansea is only seventy-five miles.
This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train.
Consider.
- Charging could be provided at Carmarthen using a short length of electrification or one of Furrer + Frey standard chargers.
- Charging would also use the electrification between London Paddington and Cardiff.
- A nine-car Class 800 or Class 802 train has five engines and a five-car train has three engines.
- The Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train was announced in December 2022.
- In the intervening two years how far has the project progressed?
- For the last twelve months, Lumo have been running trains with an emergency battery-pack for hotel power. How are the batteries doing, whilst being ferried up and down, the East Coast Main Line?
Can Hitachi configure a train with more than one battery-pack and a number of diesel engines, that has a range of seventy-five miles? I suspect they can.
I suspect that CAF also have similar technology.
There is also a benefit to Great Western Railway (GWR).
If GWR were able to fit out their Class 802 trains in the same way, they would be able to run between Cardiff and Swansea on battery power.
- It is only 45.7 miles.
- Charging would need to be provided at Swansea.
- GWR could still run their one tpd service to Carmarthen.
It looks like both train operating companies could be able to do as Lumo does and advertise all electric services.
What Could Be The Maxmum Range Of A Hitachi Train On Batteries?
This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Regional Battery Train.
Consider.
- It has a battery range of 90 km or 56 miles on the single battery.
- I would expect that by a regional train, Hitachi mean a five car Class 800 or 802 train, like those that go to Cheltenham, Lincoln or Middlesbrough.
- A five-car Hitachi Regional Battery Train would have a battery that could contain power equivalent to 280 car-miles.
- Five-car Class 800 or 802 trains have three engine positions.
- These Hitachi trains have a very sophisticated control system, which I wrote about in Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?
I believe the engineers at Hyperdrive Innovation have designed the battery-packs that replace the diesel engines as simulations of the diesel engines, so they can be a direct replacement.
This would mean that battery-packs could be additive, so the following could apply to a five-car train.
- Two battery packs could have a range of 112 miles.
- Three battery packs could have a range of 168 miles.
GWR generally runs pairs of five-car trains to Swansea, which would be 90 miles without electrification.
If five-car trains with two battery packs, could be given a range of 112 miles, GWR could run an electric service to Swansea.
They could also run to Carmarthen, if Grand Union Trains would share the charger.
What ranges could be possible with nine-car trains, if one battery pack is good for 280 car-miles?
- One battery-pack, gives a range of 280/9 = 31 miles
- Two battery-packs, give a range of 2*280/9 = 62 miles
- Three battery-packs, give a range of 3*280/9 = 93 miles
- Four battery-packs, give a range of 4*280/9 = 124 miles
- Five battery-packs, give a range of 5*280/9 = 155 miles
- Six battery-packs, give a range of 6*280/9 = 187 miles
- Seven battery-packs, give a range of 7*280/9 = 218 miles
Note.
- I have rounded figures to the nearest mile.
- There are five cars with diesel engines in a nine-car train, which are in cars 2,3,5, 7 and 8.
- Diesel engines are also placed under the driver cars in five-car Class 810 trains.
- For the previous two reasons, I feel that the maximum numbers of diesel engines in a nine-car train could be a maximum of seven.
- I have therefor assumed a maximum of seven battery packs.
These distances seem sensational, but when you consider that Stradler’s Flirt Akku has demonstrated a battery range of 243 kilometres or 150 miles, I don’t think they are out of order.
But, if they are correct, then the ramifications are enormous.
- Large numbers of routes could become electric without any infrastructure works.
- Grand Union Trains would be able to run to Carmarthen and back without a charger at Carmarthen.
- GWR would be able to run to Swansea and back without a charger at Swansea.
Prudence may mean strategic chargers are installed.
Rrenewable Energy Developments In South West Wales
In Enter The Dragon, I talked about renewable energy developments in South West Wales.
I used information from this article on the Engineer, which is entitled Unlocking The Renewables Potential Of The Celtic Sea.
The article on the Engineer finishes with this conclusion.
For now, Wales may be lagging slightly behind its Celtic cousin to the north, but if the true potential of the Celtic Sea can be unleashed – FLOW, tidal stream, lagoon and wave – it looks set to play an even more prominent role in the net zero pursuit.
The Red Dragon is entering the battle to replace Vlad the Mad’s tainted energy.
South West Wales could see a massive renewable energy boom.
Grand Union Trains will increase the capacity to bring in more workers to support the developments from South Wales and Bristol.
Are These Two Stories Related?
These are two stories recently published in Railway Gazette.
Deutsche Bahn Sells Arriva Businesses To Private Equity Holding Company, which starts with this paragraph.
Deutsche Bahn has reached agreement to sell its Arriva local transport activities in Denmark, Poland and Serbia to München-based private equity holding company Mutares SE & Co KGaA.
That is fairly clear and is probably related with the German government’s desire for DB to concentrate on its core business.seren
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled RENFE Looks At Entering UK Rail Market Through Open Access Partnership, which starts with this paragraph.
Open access passenger service developer Grand Union Trains is working with Spain’s national operator RENFE and private equity firm Serena Industrial Partners on a proposed service between London and Wales.
That also is fairly clear and would bring competition to services to and from South Wales.
It would also help in the financing of Grand Union Trains.
The article also says the following.
- RENFE seem to be expanding into partnerships to run services outside Spain.
- A parkway station at Felindre will be build to avoid the reverse at Swansea, that would save 20 mins.
- It will be a high quality service with new electro-diesel trains.
- Four trains will be needed.
- A 2025 start is envisaged.
Will this partnership with Grand Union Trains proceed with the development of Grand Union Trains’ London and Stirling service?
I have some thoughts and questions.
Will Deutsche Bahn Sell Other Arriva Businesses?
I think this is a reasonable question to ask, especially, as Deutsche Bahn owns two Open Access Operators in the UK; Chiltern Railways and Grand Central Trains.
- Both operators have a good reputation.
- Both operators need to decarbonise, either by updating their current stock or buying new trains.
- Both operators have solid niche markets, where they are often responsible for the stations.
- Both operators have expansion plans.
Would RENFE and Serena Industrial Partners be interested in taking over Arriva UK and developing the business?
The Talgo Factory At Longannet
I believe that there is reason to believe that one of Talgo’s reasons for a factory in Scotland, is that it could have been used to build Russian and dual-gauge trains for Eastern Europe. The trains would have been delivered by ferry from Rosyth.
There is also the not-small matter of the fleet for Rail Baltica, for which Talgo will surely be a bidder.
But Russia’s attack on Ukraine has scuppered that plan, or at least delayed it for a few years. But now, there could be a much larger market for trains in Eastern Europe and especially Ukraine.
If RENFE Acquire Open Access Operators In The UK, They Will Need New Trains
They will certainly need new trains for the South Wales operations, if they go ahead, but if they were to decarbonise Chiltern and Grand Central, the order could be substantial.
With one Spanish train factory in the UK and another a possibility, I would suspect any train order would go to a Spanish train-builder.
If the orders fell right, could we see Talgo’s factory at Longannet built after all?
The Anonymous Widower 