Thoughts On The East Midlands Railway Timetable After Class 810 Trains Enter Service
East Midlands Railway will soon be replacing their diesel Class 222 trains with new bi-mode Class 810 trains.
- 32 trains will be replaced by 33 trains.
- 167 cars will be replaced by 165 cars.
- The current trains come in four, five and seven cars.
- The new trains come in five-cars only.
- The platforms at St. Pancras station can accept a pair of the new trains.
- Both Class 222 and Class 810 trains are genuine 125 mph trains.
- St. Pancras and Corby takes one hour and fifteen minutes
- St. Pancras and Nottingham takes hour and forty-five minutes
- St. Pancras and Sheffield takes two hours
The current services are as follows.
- St. Pancras and Corby via Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough and Kettering
- St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph) and Beeston (1 tph).
- St. Pancras and Sheffield via Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph), Long Eaton (1 tph), Derby and Chesterfield.
Note.
All services are two trains per hour (tph)
If all services were run by single trains, the following number of trains would be needed for each service.
- St. Pancras and Corby – 6 trains
- St. Pancras and Nottingham – 8 trains
- St. Pancras and Sheffield – 9 trains
Note.
- This means a total of twenty-three trains.
- I am assuming, that trains can turn round in fifteen minutes at each end of the journey.
- If pairs of trains run, then the numbers can be doubled to forty-six trains.
These are my thoughts.
Do The Luton Airport Express Services Need Pairs Of Trains?
The Corby service is now branded as the Luton Airport Express.
This picture shows a packed Luton Airport Express at Luton Airport Parkway station.
After seeing this, I believe that a pair of trains must run to Corby to pick up passengers, who want a fast service to and from Luton Airport.
Will The Class 810 Trains Replace The Class 360 Trains To Corby?
If all services are run by single Class 810 trains, the following would apply.
- The current service pattern would need 23 trains.
- All stations would get the same number of trains to and from St. Pancras.
- All East Midlands Railway out of St. Pancras would use the same 125 mph electric trains and services could probably be speeded up.
- The Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on diesel and the Class 360 train has 1.55 MW on electric, so I suspect that the Class 810 train has the faster acceleration.
- Bedford, Kettering, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Market Harborough and Wellingborough would have 125 mph electric commuter services to and from London.
- Corby and Luton Airport Parkway services would have marginally more seats, if Corby services were pairs of trains.
There would be ten spare trains, if the Class 360 trains were replaced or four spare trains, if pairs of trains ran to Corby.
Would Class 810 Trains Running On Electric Execute Stops Faster?
This document on Rail Engineer gives these figures for total power on electric of Class 802 trains.
- Five-car – 2712 kW
- Nine-car – 4520 kW
Note.
- These figures are based on a Hitachi figure of 226 kW for the power of a traction motor.
- The five-car train has twelve motors and the nine-car has twenty.
- As a five-car train has three powered cars and a nine-car train has five, it looks like each powered car has four traction motors.
- The document also says that the power to weight ratio on electric is thirty percent more than on diesel.
This document on the Hitachi web site provides this schematic of the traction system.
Note that four traction motors are confirmed.
Consider the power of the various trains, that run or will run on the Midland Main Line.
- Four-car Class 180 train has one 559 kW diesel engine per car.
- Four, five and seven-car Class 222 train has one 559 kW diesel engine per car.
- Four-car Class 360 train has 1.55 MW on electric – 387 kW per car.
- Five-car Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on diesel – 588 kW per car.
- Five-car Class 810 train has 2.94 MW on electric – 588 kW per car.
Note.
- The Class 810 train will out-accelerate the Class 360 train as it has at least 40 percent more power on electric.
- The Class 810 train has pantographs on both driving cars.
- The Class 810 train has two powered cars; numbers 2 and 4.
- I have assumed that if the Class 810 train can handle 2.94 MW on both diesel and electric.
- With eight traction motors, they would need to be 367.5 kW.
- The Class 810 train should out-accelerate the Class 180 train and Class 222 train as it has at five percent more power on both diesel and electric.
I think it is also relevant that the order for the Class 810 trains was placed in August 2019 and Hitachi announced their collaboration with Eversholt Rail Group to develop the battery-electric versions of the Class 802 trains only sixteen months later. As the Class 810 appears to be an revolution of the Class 802 train, I suspect that Hitachi were working hard on battery design, as this train’s design evolved.
These are the five cars of the Class 810 train.
- 1 – DPTS – Driver-Pantograph-Trailer-Standard with Generator Unit
- 2 – MS – Motored-Standard with Generator Unit
- 3 – TS – Trailer-Standard with Transformer
- 4 – MC – Motored-Composite with Generator Unit
- 5 – DPTF – Driver-Pantograph-Trailer-First with Generator Unit
Note.
- Generator Unit is a diesel generator.
- Motored means the car has four traction motors.
- Composite means a car with both First and Standard accommodation.
- Cars 1-2, and 4-5, form two power units with two generator units, four traction motors and a pantograph, at each end of the train. Cables would connect them to the transformer in car 3.
It looks a neat solution, which probably has high reliability.
I can envisage the two generator units under cars 2 and 4 could be replaced by battery packs.
- The battery packs would mimic the function of the generator units.
- Noise in cars 2 and 4 would be reduced.
- Carbon emissions would be reduced.
- The battery packs would be charged, when running under the wires or possibly from chargers or short length of overhead wires at terminal stations.
- The battery packs would handle regenerative braking.
- Adding battery packs would allow the trains to jump gaps left in the electrification.
At some point in the future, the other two generator units could be removed or replaced with battery packs, depending on whether full electrification happens on the Midland Main Line.
These meanderings convince me that the Class 810 trains will be able to save time in the stops on the Midland Main Line.
Because of these savings, I can see East Midlands Railway, reorganising stops on the electrified section of the route, as although the stop will add a minute or two, this lost time will be picked up on savings at existing stops and by more 125 mph running.
Could The Nottingham And Sheffield Services Be Combined?
These are the current services to Nottingham and Sheffield.
- St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph) and Beeston (1 tph).
- St. Pancras and Sheffield via Leicester, Loughborough (1 tph), East Midlands Parkway (1 tph), Long Eaton (1 tph), Derby and Chesterfield.
Note.
- Both services call at Leicester , Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
- Some trains call at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering and Market Harborough on the section of the Midland Main Line, which is currently being electrified between Kettering and Wigston.
- A lot of money has been spent on the Luton DART and it only has two fast trains from St. Pancras. Four tph would be ideal.
Suppose the Sheffield and Nottingham trains operated like this.
- A pair of Class 810 trains would leave St. Pancras.
- South of Leicester, they would call at one or two stations, as defined in the timetable.
- They would then call at Leicester , Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
- At East Midlands Parkway, the two trains would split.
- One train would go to Sheffield and the other would go to Nottingham, stopping as defined in the timetable.
Note.
- Because of the trains superior performance, they would be doing quicker calls at stations, which should allow the existing timetable to be maintained or even improved.
- Hitachi trains can split and join in around two minutes.
- These trains would call at Luton Airport Parkway, to give that station four tph from St. Pancras, Luton and Bedford.
I calculated earlier that a 2 tph Sheffield service would need nine trains. So if it served both Nottingham and Sheffield it would need another nine trains. This would give a total of eighteen trains.
- If the St.Pancras and Corby service were to be run by pairs of Class 810 trains, this would require twelve trains.
- Adding the two services together would require thirty trains. Would three trains be enough for backup and in maintenance?
I suspect splitting and joining at East Midlands Parkway could be beneficial.
Could Four tph Be Run To Nottingham And Sheffield?
Consider.
- Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton and York all get two tph from London.
- Some closer stations like Birmingham, Cambridge, Ipswich, Leicester, Oxford and Reading get more.
- Most of these routes are electrified and run modern trains.
I wouldn’t say never, but adding two tph to both Nottingham and Sheffield services would require.
- Two more hourly train paths on both between St. Pancras and Nottingham, and St. Pancras and Sheffield.
- Eighteen extra trains.
But as a sub-two hour service would be running on both routes, it would probably be possible to accurately predict, when more trains were needed.
Electrification Through Leicester
As more electrification is added, this should result in faster journeys, that reduce carbon emissions.
OpenRailwayMap is now showing the electrification as dotted lines on the Midland Main Line.
This map shows the electrification scheme through Leicester.
Note.
- Only the two main lines in the centre of the station seem to be going to be electrified.
- These lines are used by East Midlands Railway’s through trains and surprisingly some freight trains.
- Terminating services from places like Birmingham, Grimsby and Lincoln seem to stop in the outer platforms.
This picture shows the platforms from the Northern footbridge.
This picture shows the platforms from the Northern footbridge.
At the Southern end of the station, the tracks go under the London Road bridge. This map shows the tracks there.
Note.
- The two main tracks of the Midland Main Line appear that they will be electrified.
- But the lines at each side are not electrified.
Some years ago I came back to London from Leicester with a group of drivers. At one point, the conversation turned to electrification and they said that they had met a Network Rail engineer, who had told them, that the bridge was rather low for electrification and the track couldn’t be lowered because Leicester’s main sewer was underneath the railway.
It looks like Network Rail have found a way to squeeze two electrified tracks through the middle of the bridge and then use diesel, battery or other self-powered trains on lines without electrification on either side.
Discontinuous Electrification Through Derwent Valley Mills
One big problem area of electrification on the Midland Main Line could be North of Derby, where the railway runs through the World Heritage Site of the Derwent Valley Mills. There might be serious objections to electrification in this area.
But if electrification were to be installed between Leicester and Derby stations, the following would be possible.
- The Midland Main Line would be electrified at East Midlands Hub station.
- Power could be taken from High Speed Two’s supply at East Midland Hub station, even if High Speed Two is not built in full.
- Battery-electric trains could do a return trip to Nottingham from an electrified East Midlands Parkway station, as it’s only sixteen miles in total.
I am sure, that Hitachi’s Class 810 trains could be upgraded to have a of perhaps twenty-five miles on battery power, as this fits with Hitachi’s statements.
North of Derby, there would be electrification on the following sections.
- Derby station and South of the heritage-sensitive section at Belper station.
- Sheffield station and North of the heritage-sensitive section at Duffield station.
Milford Tunnel, which has Grade II Listed portals and is part of the World Heritage Site would not be electrified.
Belper and Duffield stations are 2.6 miles or 4.8 kilometres apart.
I believe it could be arranged that there would be no electrification in the sensitive section, where the Heritage Taliban might object.
The Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train
Hitachi will start testing their Intercity Battery Hybrid Train next year.
The train is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note that is has a gap-jumping range of 5 km, which would handle the gap between Belper and Duffield stations.
CrossCountry Services Between Derby And Sheffield
CrossCountry operate the following services between Derby and Sheffield through Milford Tunnel and the World Heritage Site.
- Plymouth and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central
- Southampton/Reading and Newcastle
CrossCountry would need new trains and one of the current Hitachi Class 802 trains could handle this route and use electrification where it exists.
A five kilometre gap will be no big obstacle to designing a battery-electric train for these CrossCountry services.
Freight Trains
In Will Zero-Carbon Freight Trains Be Powered By Battery, Electric Or Hydrogen Locomotives?, I came to this conclusion.
In the title of this post, I asked if freight locomotives of the future would be battery, electric or hydrogen.
I am sure of one thing, which is that all freight locomotives must be able to use electrification and if possible, that means both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail. Electrification will only increase in the future, making it necessary for most if not all locomotives in the future to be able to use it.
I feel there will be both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric locomotives, with the battery-electric locomotives towards the less powerful end.
Hydrogen-electric will certainly dominate at the heavy end.
These locomotives would be able to handle the section of the Midland Main Line through Derwent Valley Mills.
Electrification Between Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield Station
Long term readers of this blog, will have noticed that I make regular references to this proposed electrification, that is part of High Speed Two’s proposals to connect Sheffield to the new high speed railway.
So I thought I would bring all my thoughts together in this post.
Connecting Sheffield To High Speed Two
Sheffield is to be accessed from a branch off the Main High Speed Two route to Leeds.
This map clipped from High Speed Two’s interactive map, shows the route of the Sheffield Branch, from where it branches North West from the main Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
Note.
- Orange indicates new High Speed Two track.
- Blue indicates track that High Speed Two will share with other services.
- The orange route goes North to Leeds, along the M1
- The blue route goes North to Chesterfield and Sheffield, after skirting to the East of Clay Cross.
- The orange route goes South to East Midlands Hub station.
This second map, shows where the Erewash Valley Line joins the Sheffield Branch near the village of Stonebroom.
Note.
- Red is an embankment.
- Yellow is a cutting.
- The Sheffield Branch goes North-West to Clay Cross, Chesterfield and Sheffield
- The Sheffield Branch goes South-East to East Midlands Hub station.
- The Sheffield Branch goes through Doe Hill Country Park.
- The Sheffield Branch runs alongside the existing Erewash Valley Line, which goes South to Langley Mill, Ilkeston and the Derby-Nottingham area.
The Sheffield Branch and the Erewash Valley Line appear to share a route, which continues round Clay Cross and is shown in this third map.
Note
- Doe Hill Country Park is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The dark line running North-South is the A61.
- Running to the West of the A61 is the Midland Main Line, which currently joins the Erewash Valley Line at Clay Cross North junction.
High Speed Two and the Midland Main Line will share a route and/or tracks from Clay Cross North junction to Sheffield.
This fourth map, shows where the combined route joins the Hope Valley Line to Manchester to the South West of Sheffield.
Note.
- Sheffield is to the North East.
- Chesterfield is to the South East,
- Totley junction is a large triangular junction, that connects to the Hope Valley Line.
These are some timings for various sections of the route.
- Clay Cross North Junction and Chesterfield (current) – 4 minutes
- Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield (current) – 17 minutes
- Chesterfield and Sheffield (current) – 13 minutes
- Chesterfield and Sheffield (High Speed Two) – 13 minutes
- East Midlands Hub and Chesterfield (High Speed Two) – 16 minutes
- East Midlands Hub and Sheffield (High Speed Two) – 27 minutes
As Class Cross North Junction and Sheffield are 15.5 miles, this means the section is run at an average speed of 53 mph.
Can I draw any conclusions from the maps and timings?
- There would appear to be similar current and High Speed Two timings between Chesterfield and Sheffield.
- The various junctions appear to be built for speed.
The Midland Main Line will be electrified between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield, so that High Speed Two trains can use the route.
What will be the characteristics of the tracks between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield?
- Will it be just two tracks as it mainly is now or will it be a multi-track railway to separate the freight trains from the high speed trains?
- Will it have a high enough maximum speed, so that East Midland Railway’s new Class 810 trains can go at their maximum speed of 140 mph?
- Will it be capable of handling a frequency of 18 tph, which is the maximum frequency of High Speed Two?
Surely, it will be built to a full High Speed Two standard to future-proof the line.
Current Passenger Services Between Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield Station
These trains use all or part of the route between Cross North Junction And Sheffield stations.
- CrossCountry – Plymouth and Edinburgh via Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Leeds – 1 tph
- East Midlands Railway – London St. Pancras and Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield – 2 tph
- East Midlands Railway – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich via Stockport, The Hope Valley Line, Sheffield and Chesterfield – 1 tph
- Northern Trains – Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield via the Hope Valley Line – 1 tph
- Northern Trains – Leeds and Nottingham via Meadowhall, Sheffield and Chesterfield – 1 tph
- TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes via Stockport, the Hope Valley Line and Sheffield – 1 tph
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- High Speed Two is currently planning to run two tph to Sheffield, which will run between Cross North junction and Sheffield stations.
- The services on the Hope Valley Line run on electrified tracks at the Manchester end.
These services can be aggregated to show the number of trains on each section of track.
- Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Totley junction – 3 tph
- Totley junction and Sheffield station – 7 tph
- Totley junction and Clay Cross North junction via Chesterfield – 4 tph
Adding in the High Speed Two services gives these numbers.
- Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Totley junction – 3 tph
- Totley junction and Sheffield station – 9 tph
- Totley junction and Clay Cross North junction via Chesterfield – 6 tph
This report on the Transport for the North web site, is entitled At A Glance – Northern Powerhouse Rail. It states that Transport for the North’s aspirations for Manchester and Sheffield are four tph with a journey time of forty minutes.
Adding in the extra train gives these numbers.
- Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Totley junction – 4 tph
- Totley junction and Sheffield station – 10 tph
- Totley junction and Clay Cross North junction via Chesterfield – 6 tph
This level of services can be accommodated on a twin-track railway designed to the right high speed standards.
Freight Services Between Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield Station
The route is used by freight trains, with up to two tph on each of the three routes from Totley junction.
And these are likely to increase.
Tracks Between Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield Station
I am absolutely certain, that two tracks between Clay Cross North junction And Sheffield station will not be enough, even if they are built to High Speed Two standards to allow at least 140 mph running under digital signalling.
Battery Electric Trains
The only battery-electric train with a partly-revealed specification is Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- The train is a 100 mph unit.
- Ninety kilometres is fifty-six miles.
I would expect that battery-electric trains from other manufacturers like Alstom, CAF and Siemens would have similar performance on battery power.
In Thoughts On CAF’s Battery-Electric Class 331 Trains, I concluded CAF’s approach could give the following ranges.
- Three-car battery-electric train with one battery pack – 46.7 miles
- Four-car battery-electric train with one battery pack – 35 miles
- Four-car battery-electric train with two battery packs – 70 miles
I was impressed.
These are my thoughts on battery-electric trains on the routes from an electrified Sheffield.
Adwick
Sheffield and Adwick is 22.7 miles without electrification
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
If the battery range is sufficient, there may not need to be charging at Adwick.
Bridlington
Sheffield and Bridlington is 90.5 miles without electrification, except for a short section through Doncaster, where trains could top up batteries.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
But there would need to be a charging system at Hull, where the trains reverse.
An alternative would be to electrify Hull and Brough, which is just 10.4 miles and takes about twelve minutes.
Derby Via The Midland Main Line
Clay Cross North junction and Derby is 20.9 miles without electrification.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
Gainsborough Central
Sheffield and Gainsborough Central is 33.6 miles without electrification
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
But there will need to be a charging system at Gainsborough Central.
Huddersfield Via The Penistone Line
This is a distance of 36.4 miles with electrification at both ends, after the electrification between Huddersfield and Westtown is completed.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
Hull
Sheffield and Hull is 59.4 miles without electrification, except for a short section through Doncaster, where trains could top up batteries.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
But there will probably need to be a charging system at Hull.
An alternative would be to electrify Hull and Brough, which is just 10.4 miles and takes about twelve minutes.
Leeds Via The Hallam Or Wakefield Lines
This is a distance of 40-45 miles with electrification at both ends.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
Lincoln
Sheffield and Lincoln Central is 48.5 miles without electrification
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
But there will probably need to be a charging system at Lincoln Central.
Manchester Via The Hope Valley Line
This is a distance of forty-two miles with electrification at both ends.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
Nottingham
Clay Cross North junction and Nottingham is 25.1 miles without electrification
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
But there may need to be a charging system at Nottingham.
York
This is a distance of 46.4 miles with electrification at both ends.
I am sure that battery-electric trains can handle this route.
Is London St. Pancras And Sheffield Within Range Of Battery-Electric Trains?
In the previous section, I showed that it would be possible to easily reach Derby, as Clay Cross North junction and Derby is 20.9 miles without electrification.
- Current plans include electrifying the Midland Main Line as far North as Market Harborough.
- Market Harborough is 82.8 miles from London St. Pancras
- Derby is 128.3 miles from London St. Pancras
So what would be the best way to cover the 45.5 miles in the middle?
One of the best ways would surely be to electrify between Derby and East Midlands Parkway stations.
- Derby and East Midlands Parkway stations are just 10.2 miles apart.
- Current services take around twelve-fourteen minutes to travel between the two stations, so it would be more than enough time to charge a battery-electric train.
- Power for the electrification should not be a problem, as Radcliffe-on-Soar power station is by East Midlands Parkway station. Although the coal-fired power station will soon be closed, it must have a high class connection to the electricity grid.
- The East Midlands Hub station of High Speed Two will be built at Toton between Derby and Nottingham and will have connections to the Midland Main Line.
- An electrified spur could connect to Nottingham station.
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the route and found the following.
- Three overbridges that are not modern and built for large containers and electrification.
- Two level crossings.
- One short tunnel.
- Two intermediate stations.
- Perhaps half-a-dozen modern footbridges designed to clear electrification.
I’ve certainly seen routes that would be much more challenging to electrify.
I wonder if gauge clearance has already been performed on this key section of the Midland Main Line.
If this section were to be electrified, the sections of the Midland Main Line between London St. Pancras and Sheffield would be as follows.
- London St. Pancras and Market Harborough – Electrified – 82.8 miles
- Market Harborough and East Midlands Parkway – Not Electrified – 35.3 miles
- East Midlands Parkway and Derby – Electrified – 10.2 miles
- Derby and Clay Cross North junction – Not Electrified – 20.9 miles
- Clay Cross North junction and Sheffield – Electrified – 15.5 miles
Note.
- The World Heritage Site of the Derwent Valley Mills is not electrified, which could ease the planning.
- Leicester station with its low bridge, which could be difficult to electrify, has not been electrified.
- Under thirty miles of electrification will allow battery-electric trains to run between London St. Pancras and Sheffield, provided they had a range on batteries of around forty miles.
Probably, the best way to electrify between East Midlands Parkway and Derby might be to develop a joint project with High Speed Two, that combines all the power and other early works for East Midlands Hub station, with the electrification between the two stations.
Will The Class 810 Trains Be Converted To Battery-Electric Operation?
Hitachi’s Class 8xx trains tend to be different, when it comes to power. These figures relate to five-car trains.
- Class 800 train – 3 x 560 kW diesel engines
- Class 801 train – 1 x 560 kW diesel engine
- Class 802 train – 3 x 700 kW diesel engines
- Class 803 train – All electric – No diesel and an emergency battery
- Class 805 train – 3 x 700 kW diesel engines (?)
- Class 807 train – All electric – No diesel or emergency battery
- Class 810 train – 4 x 700 kW diesel engines (?)
Note.
- These figures relate to five-car trains.
- Class 807 train are seven-car trains.
- Where there is a question mark (?), the power has not been disclosed.
- Hitachi use two sizes of diesel engine; 560 kW and 700 kW.
It was generally thought with the Class 810 train to be used on the Midland Main Line, will be fitted with four engines to be able to run at 125 mph on diesel.
But are they 560 kW or 700 kW engines?
- A Class 802 train has an operating speed of 110 mph on diesel, with 2100 kW of installed power.
- To increase speed, the power will probably be related to something like the square of the speed.
So crudely the power required for 125 mph would be 2100*125*125/110/110, which works out at 2712 kW.
Could this explain why four engines are fitted? And why they are 700 kW versions?
Interestingly, I suspect, Hitachi’s five-car trains have two more or less identical driver cars, except for the passenger interiors, for the efficiency of manufacturing and servicing.
So does that mean, that a fifth engine could be fitted if required?
There probably wouldn’t be a need for five diesel engines, but as I also believe that the Hyperdrive Innovation battery packs for these trains are plug-compatible with the diesel engines, does that mean that Hitachi’s trains can be fitted with five batteries?
Suppose you wanted to run a Class 810 train at 125 mph to clear an electrification gap of forty miles would mean the following.
- It would take 0.32 hours or 19.2 minutes to cross the gap.
- In that time 2800 kW of diesel engines would generate 896 kWh.
- So to do the same on batteries would need a total battery capacity of 896 kWh.
- If all diesel engines were replaced, each battery would need to be 224 kWh
A battery of this size is not impractical and probably weighs less than the at least four tonnes of the diesel engine it replaces.
Conclusions
Electrification between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield station is an important project that enables the following.
- A high proportion of diesel services to and from Sheffield to be converted to battery-electric power.
- With electrification between Derby and East Midlands Parkway, it enables 125 mph battery-electric trains to run between London St. Pancras and Sheffield.
- It prepares Sheffield for High Speed Two.
It should be carried out as soon as possible.
Thoughts On The Eastern Leg Of High Speed Two
These are a few thoughts on the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
Serving The North-East Quarter Of England From London
In Anxiety Over HS2 Eastern Leg Future, I gave a table of timings from London to towns and cities in the North-East quarter of England from Lincoln and Nottingham Northwards.
I’ll repeat it here.
- Bradford – Will not be served by High Speed Two – One hour and fifty-four minutes
- Cleethorpes – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and fifty-one minutes
- Darlington – One hour and forty-nine minutes – One hour and forty-nine minutes
- Doncaster – Will not be served by High Speed Two – One hour
- Edinburgh – Three hours and forty minutes via Western Leg – Three hours and thirty minutes.
- Grimsby – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and thirty-six minutes
- Harrogate – Will not be served by High Speed Two – One hour and fifty-two minutes
- Huddersfield – Will not served by High Speed Two – Two hours and eight minutes
- Hull – Will not be served by High Speed Two – One hour and fifty minutes
- Leeds – One hour and twenty-one minutes – One hour and thirty minutes
- Lincoln – Will not be served by High Speed Two – One hour and fifty-one minutes
- Middlesbrough – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and twenty minutes
- Newcastle – Two hours and seventeen minutes – Two hours and sixteen minutes
- Nottingham – One hour and seven minutes – One hour and fifty minutes
- Scarborough – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and fifty-seven minutes
- Sheffield – One hour and twenty-seven minutes – One hour and twenty-seven minutes
- Skipton – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and seven minutes
- Sunderland – Will not be served by High Speed Two – Two hours and thirty minutes
- York – One hour and twenty-four minutes – One hour and twenty-four minutes
Note.
- I have included all destinations served by Grand Central, Hull Trains and LNER.
- I have included Nottingham and Sheffield for completeness and in case whilst electrification is installed on the Midland Main Line, LNER run services to the two cities.
- I suspect LNER services to Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Skipton will split and join at Leeds.
There are a total of nineteen destination in this table.
- Twelve are not served by High Speed Two.
- Six are not more than fifteen minutes slower by the East Coast Main Line.
Only Nottingham is substantially quicker by High Speed Two.
Serving The North-East Quarter Of England From Birmingham
Fenland Scouser felt the above table might be interesting to and from Birmingham with or without the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
I think, I can give more information than that and it should be possible to give for each destination the following.
- Whether of not the route exists on High Speed Two.
- Time on High Speed Two from Birmingham.
- Time on High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail from Birmingham via Manchester
- Time by current trains from Birmingham
In the following table, the fields are in the order of the previous table.
- Bradford – No direct route – No time – One hour and three minutes – Two hours and twenty-seven minutes
- Cleethorpes – No direct route – No time – Three hours and eight minutes – Three hours and eighteen minutes
- Darlington – Route Exists – One hour and twenty-three minutes – One hour and forty minutes – Two hours and fifty-five minutes
- Doncaster – No direct route – No time – One hour and thirty-six minutes – Two hours and nineteen minutes
- Edinburgh- Route Exists – Three hours and fourteen minutes – Four hours – Four hours and thirteen minutes
- Grimsby – No direct route – No time – Two hours and fifty-three minutes – Three hours and three minutes
- Harrogate – No direct route – No time – One hour and twenty-eight minutes – Three hours
- Huddersfield – No direct route – No time – Fifty-six minutes – Two hours and eleven minutes
- Hull – No direct route – No time – One hour and forty-four minutes – Three hours and two minutes
- Leeds – Route Exists – Forty-nine minutes – One hour and six minutes – One hour and fifty-nine minutes
- Lincoln – No direct route – No time – Two hours and fifty-three minutes – Two hours and thirteen minutes
- Middlesbrough – No direct route – No time – Two hours and twenty-nine minutes – Three hours and thirty-two minutes
- Newcastle – No direct route – No time – Two hours and four minutes – Three hours and twenty-six minutes
- Nottingham – Route Exists – Fifty-seven minutes – Two hours and fifty-five minutes – One hour and ten minutes
- Sheffield – Route Exists – Thirty-five minutes – One hour and thirty-four minutes – One hour and fifteen minutes
- Skipton – No direct route – No time – One hour and forty-three minutes – Two hours and fifty-two minutes
- Sunderland – No direct route – No time – Two hours and fifty-nine minutes – Three hours and fifty-eight minutes
- York – Route Exists – Fifty-seven minutes – One hour and twenty-eight minutes – Two hours and twenty-seven minutes
Note.
- No time means just that!
- One of the crucial times is that Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds is just an hour and six minutes via High Speed Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail. This time gives good times to all destinations served from Leeds.
- Nottingham and Sheffield are both around an hour and fifteen minutes from Birmingham New Street, by the current trains.
I’ll now look at some routes in detail.
Birmingham And Leeds
The time of one hour and six minutes is derived from the following.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly by High Speed Two – Forty-one minutes
- Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds by Northern Powerhouse Rail – Twenty-five minutes
It would be seventeen minutes slower than the direct time of forty-nine minutes.
But it is quicker than the current time of one hour and fifty-nine minutes
Note.
- As Manchester Piccadilly will have a time to and from London of one hour and eleven minutes, Leeds will have a time of one hour and twenty-six minutes to London via Northern Powerhouse Rail and Manchester.
- If the Eastern Leg is built, The London and Leeds time will be one hour and twenty-one minutes.
- The Eastern Leg would therefore save just five minutes.
The Northern Powerhouse route could probably mean that Huddersfield, Bradford and Hull would be served by High Speed Two from London.
Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds would be connected by a tunnel deep under the Pennines.
- Manchester Piccadilly, Huddersfield and Bradford could be underground platforms added to existing stations.
- Piccadilly and Leeds would have a journey time of under 25 minutes and six trains per hour (tph).
- The tunnel would also carry freight.
- It would be modelled on the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland.
I wrote full details in Will HS2 And Northern Powerhouse Rail Go For The Big Bore?
Birmingham And Nottingham
The time of two hours and fifty-five minutes is derived from the following.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly by High Speed Two – Forty-one minutes
- Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds by Northern Powerhouse Rail – Twenty-five minutes
- Leeds and Nottingham – One hour and forty-nine minutes
It would be one hour and fifty-eight minutes slower than the direct time of fifty-nine minutes.
The current time of one hour and ten minutes is much quicker.
Birmingham And Sheffield
The time of two hours and thirty-four minutes is derived from the following.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly by High Speed Two – Forty-one minutes
- Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds by Northern Powerhouse Rail – Twenty-five minutes
- Leeds and Sheffield – One hour and twenty-eight minutes
It would be one hour and fifty-nine minutes slower than the direct time of thirty-five minutes.
The current time of one hour and fifteen minutes is much quicker.
Conclusions On The Timings
I am led to the following conclusions on the timings.
The building of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two gives the fastest times between Birmingham and Leeds, Nottingham and Sheffield.
But if the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two is not built, then the following is true, if Northern Powerhouse Rail is created between Manchester and Leeds.
The time of an hour and six minutes between Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds is probably an acceptable time.
This time probably enables acceptable times between Birmingham Curzon Street and destinations North of Leeds.
But with Nottingham and Sheffield the current CrossCountry service is faster than the route via Manchester.
The speed of the CrossCountry services surprised me, but then there is a section of 125 mph running between Derby and Birmingham, which is used by CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Leeds, Nottingham and Sheffield.
This table gives details of these services.
- Birmingham New Street and Leeds – 116,4 miles – One hour and 58 minutes – 59.3 mph
- Birmingham New Street and Nottingham – 57.2 miles – One hour and 14 minutes – 46.4 mph
- Birmingham New Street and Sheffield – 77.6 miles – One hour and 18 minutes – 59.7 mph
Note.
- The Leeds and Sheffield services are run by 125 mph Class 220 trains.
- The Notting service is run by 100 mph Class 170 trains.
- All trains are diesel-powered.
As there is 125 mph running between Derby and Birmingham, the train performance probably accounts for the slower average speed of the Nottingham service.
CrossCountry And Decarbonisation
Consider.
- CrossCountry has an all-diesel fleet.
- All train companies in the UK are planning on decarbonising.
- Some of CrossCountry’s routes are partially electrified and have sections where 125 mph running is possible.
The only standard train that is built in the UK that would fit CrossCountry’s requirements, would appear to be one of Hitachi’s 125 mph trains like a bi-mode Class 802 train.
- These trains are available in various lengths
- Hitachi will be testing battery packs in the trains in the next year, with the aim of entering service in 2023.
- Hitachi have formed a company with ABB, which is called Hitachi ABB Power Grids to develop and install discontinuous electrification.
When CrossCountry do replace their fleet and run 125 mph trains on these services several stations will be connected to Birmingham for High Speed Two.
The route between Leeds and Birmingham via Sheffield is part of the Cross Country Route, for which electrification appears to have planned in the 1960s according to a section in Wikipedia called Abortive British Rail Proposals For Complete Electrification,
I suspect that the following times could be achieved with a frequency of two tph
- Birmingham New Street and Leeds – 90 minutes
- Birmingham New Street and Nottingham – 60 minutes
- Birmingham New Street and Sheffield – 60 minutes
It is not the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two, but it could do in the interim.
Electrification Of The Midland Main Line
I don’t believe that the Midland Main Line needs full electrification to speed up services to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield, but I believe that by fitting batteries to Hitachi’s Class 810 trains, that will soon be running on the line and using the Hitachi ABB Power Grids system of discontinuous electrification, that the route can be decarbonised.
I would also apply full digital in-cab signalling to the Midland Main Line.
Conclusion
We will need the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two at some time in the future, but if we do the following we can do more than cope.
- Create Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester and Leeds, so that High Speed Two can serve Leeds and Hull via Manchester.
- Decarbonise CrossCountry with some 125 mph battery-electric trains.
- Electrify the Midland Main Line.
I would also deliver as much as possible before Phase 1 and 2a of High Speed Two opens.
Department Of Transport Claims London and Sheffield Times Could Be Cut By Thirty Minutes
In this article on the BBC, which is entitled Government Announce £401m Boost For Rail Services, this is said.
The funding announcement coincided with the completion of the first phase of the £1.5bn Midland Main Line Upgrade, which has supported the launch of East Midlands Railway’s (EMR) first electric services on the route between Corby in Northamptonshire and London St Pancras.
The project will see journey times between Sheffield and London cut by up to 30 minutes, the DfT said.
So how feasible is the claim of a thirty minute cut in London and Sheffield timings?
On Monday, the 07:30 train from London to Sheffield, covered the 164.7 miles in two hours and twelve minutes at an average speed of 74.9 mph.
If that train had done the trip in one hour and forty-two minutes, that would have been an average speed of 96.9 mph.
By the time, the new Class 810 trains arrive in a couple of years, they will be able to use the new electrification to Market Harborough, when on Monday the 82.8 miles without a stop, was covered in an hour, at an average speed of 82.8 mph.
These new trains are 125 mph electric trains under the wires and they will have two separate fast lines on which to run.
Example time savings at various average speeds to Market Harborough are as follows.
- 100 mph – 10 minutes saving.
- 110 mph – 14.8 minutes saving.
- 125 mph – 20.3 minutes saving
- 130 mph – 21.8 minutes saving
- 140 mph – 24.6 minutes saving
Note.
- The faster the average, the greater the time saving.
- Faster than 125 mph would only be possible with full in-cab digital signalling, which is currently being installed on the East Coast Main Line.
- I have been to Leicester in an InterCity 125, which was running at 125 mph most of the way.
But it does look like the new Class 810 trains will be able to save around twenty minutes to Sheffield, by making full use of the electrification between London and Market Harborough.
They would need to save just ten minutes between Market Harborough and Sheffield.
The Monday Train covered the 81.9 miles between Market Harborough and Sheffield in one hour and twelve minutes, which is an average speed of 68.3 mph.
To obtain the saving of ten minutes, it would need to do the journey in one hour and two minutes, which would be an average speed of 79.3 mph.
Given that the new Class 810 trains are designed to cruise at 125 mph on diesel, I don’t think this is an impossible objective.
What Will Be The Ultimate Time Between London and Sheffield On The Midland Main Line?
I believe that the following two sections of the Midland Main Line can be easily electrified.
- Between Leicester and Derby without the problem of the bridge at the South end of Leicester station, which would be so disruptive.
- Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield which will be electrified for High Speed Two. I doubt Derby and Clay Cross Junction will be electrified as it’s a World Heritage Site.
On my Monday train, the following are times North of Leicester.
- Leicester and Derby is 29.3 miles, which is covered in 32 minutes at an average speed of 55 mph, which includes five stops. Raise this to 110 mph and the journey time is just 16 minutes or a saving of 16 minutes.
- Derby and Clay Cross North Junction is 21.8 miles, which is covered in 13 minutes at an average speed of 100 mph. By averaging 120 mph, there would be a saving of 2.1 minutes.
- Cross North Junction and Sheffield is 15.5 miles, which is covered in 16 minutes at an average speed of 58.2 mph.
Note.
- Savings would come between Leicester and Derby because of 125 mph linespeed and faster stops because of electrification.
- I believe that Hitachi battery-electric trains could sustain 125 mph on battery alone between Derby and Clay Cross North Junction, if they entered the section without electrification at full speed with full batteries. Now that is what I call a battery-electric train!
- There must be a minute or two to be saved on an electrified section into Sheffield with the stop at Chesterfield.
Add up all the savings and I feel that an hour and a half is possible between London and Sheffield.
And what time is High Speed Two claiming? One hour and twenty-seven minutes!
Could A Battery-Electric Train Cruise At 125 mph?
This may seem a silly idea, but then trains don’t care where they get their electricity from.
On the 21.8 miles between Derby and Clay Cross North, a sizeable proportion of energy will be used to accelerate the train up to the linespeed for the electrified section.
When the train enters the section without electrification, it will have two sources of energy.
- The electricity in the full batteries.
- The kinetic energy in the train at the required speed.
As the train runs through the section air and rolling resistance will tend to slow the train and electricity from the battery will be used to maintain speed.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?. I estimated that for a Class 801 train to maintain 125 mph needs 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile.
A simple sum of 21.8 * 5 * 3.42 gives an energy need of 372.8 kWh to run between Derby and Clay Cross North Junction.
I’m sure than Hitachi can fit a 400 kWh battery in a five-car Class 810 train.
Would a slightly larger battery and in-cab signalling allow battery-electric trains to run at 140 mph? If the track allowed it, I don’t see why not!
Conclusion
I believe the Department of Transport’s statement of saving thirty minutes between London and Sheffield is feasible.
But so is a time of an hour-and-a half, which will give High Speed Two a run for its money!
Northern Powerhouse Rail – Significant Upgrades And Electrification Of The Rail Lines From Leeds And Sheffield To Hull
In this article on Transport for the North, which is entitled Northern Powerhouse Rail Progress As Recommendations Made To Government, one of the recommendations proposed for Northern Powerhouse Rail is significant upgrades and electrification of the rail lines from Leeds and Sheffield to Hull.
Northern Powerhouse Rail’s Objective For The Leeds and Hull Route
Wikipedia, other sources and my calculations say this about the trains between Leeds and Hull.
- The distance between the two stations is 51.7 miles
- The current service takes around 57 minutes and has a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- This gives an average speed of 54.4 mph for the fastest journey.
- The proposed service with Northern Powerhouse Rail will take 38 minutes and have a frequency of two tph.
- This gives an average speed of 81.6 mph for the journey.
This last figure of nearly 82 mph, indicates to me that a 100 mph train will be able to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail’s objective.
Northern Powerhouse Rail’s Objective For The Sheffield and Hull Route
Wikipedia, other sources and my calculations say this about the trains between Sheffield and Hull.
- The distance between the two stations is 59.4 miles
- The current service takes around 80 minutes and has a frequency of one tph.
- This gives an average speed of 44.6 mph for the fastest journey.
- The proposed service with Northern Powerhouse Rail will take 50 minutes and have a frequency of two tph.
- This gives an average speed of 71,3 mph for the journey.
This last figure of over 70 mph, indicates to me that a 90 mph train will be able to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail’s objective.
Services From Hull Station
Hull station is a full interchange, which includes a large bus station.
- Currently, the station has seven platforms.
- There appears to be space for more platforms.
- Some platforms are long enough to take nine-car Class 800 trains, which are 234 metres long.
- There are some good architectural features.
If ever there was a station, that had basic infrastructure, that with appropriate care and refurbishment, could still be handling the needs of its passengers in a hundred years, it is Hull.
- It would be able to handle a 200 metre long High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train, tomorrow.
- It would probably be as no more difficult to electrify than Kings Cross, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly or Paddington.
- It would not be difficult to install charging facilities for battery electric trains.
These are some pictures of the station.
Currently, these are the services at the station, that go between Hull and Leeds, Selby or Sheffield.
- Hull Trains – 7 trains per day (tpd) – Hull and London via Brough, Selby and Doncaster.
- LNER – 1 tpd – Hull and London via Brough, Selby and Doncaster.
- Northern Trains – 1 tph – Hull and Halifax via Brough, Selby, Leeds and Bradford Interchange.
- Northern Trains – 1 tph – Hull and Sheffield via Brough, Gilberdyke, Goole, Doncaster, Rotherham Central and Meadowhall.
- Northern Trains – 1 tph – Hull and York via Brough and Selby.
- Northern Trains – 1 tph – Bridlington and Sheffield via Hull, Brough, Goole, Doncaster and Meadowhall.
- TransPennine Express – 1 tph – Hull and Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Airport via Brough, Selby, Leeds, Huddersfield and Stalybridge.
Note.
- I have included services through Selby, as the station is on the way to Leeds and is a notorious bottleneck.
- All services go through Brough.
- All trains work on diesel power to and from Hull.
- Hull Trains and LNER use Hitachi bi-mode trains, that work most of the route to and from London, using the 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Northern use a variety of diesel trains only some of which have a 100 mph operating speed.
There would also appear to be freight trains working some of the route between Hull and Brough stations.
Upgrading The Tracks
I very much believe that to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail’s objectives as to time, that the lines to Hull from Leeds and Sheffield must have a 100 mph operating speed.
Hull And Leeds And On To London
This Google Map shows a typical section of track.
Note.
- Broomfleet station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Brough station is just to the East of the middle of the map.
- Ferriby station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The Hull and Selby Line is fairly straight for most of its route.
The Selby Swing Bridge
The main problem is the Selby swing bridge, which is shown in this Google Map.
Note.
- The bridge was opened in 1891.
- It is a Grade II Listed structure.
- It is a double-track bridge.
- It swings through ninety degrees to allow ships to pass through.
- It has a low speed limit of 25 mph.
- The bridge regularly carries the biomass trains to Drax power station.
This page on the Fairfield Control Systems web site, describes the major refurbishment of the bridge.
- The bridge structure has been fully refurbished.
- A modern control system has been installed.
- The page says the bridge glides to an exact stop.
Network Rail are claiming, it will be several decades before any more work needs to be done on parts of the bridge.
It looks to me, that Network Rail have decided to live with the problems caused by the bridge and automate their way round it, if possible.
Level Crossings
One general problem with the route between Hull and Selby is that it has around a dozen level crossing, some of which are just simple farm crossings.
The main route West from Selby goes to Leeds and it is double track, fairly straight with around a dozen level crossings.
West from Selby, the route to the East Coast Main Line to and from London is also double track and reasonably straight.
But it does have level crossings at Common Lane and Burn Lane.
The Google Map show Burn Lane level crossing, which is typical of many in the area.
Hull And Sheffield
The other route West from Hull goes via Goole and Doncaster.
This Google Map shows the Hull and Doncaster Branch between Goole and Saltmarshe stations.
Note.
- The Hull and Doncaster Branch runs diagonally across the map.
- Goole and its station is in the South West corner of the map.
- The Hull and Doncaster Branch goes leaves the map at the North-East corner and then joins the Selby Line to the West of Gilberdyke station.
This Google Map shows that where the railway crosses the River Ouse there is another swing bridge.
This is the Goole Railway Swing Bridge.
- The bridge was opened in 1869.
- The maximum speed for any train is 60 mph, but some are slower.
- It is a Grade II* Listed structure.
- In the first decade of this century the bridge was strengthened.
- It appears to carry a lesser number of freight trains than the Selby bridge
As with the Selby bridge, it appears to be working at a reasonable operational standard.
I’ve followed the line as far as Doncaster and it is fairly straight, mostly double-track with about a half-a-dozen level crossings.
Updating To 100 mph
It looks to my naïve eyes, that updating the lines to an operating speed of 100 mph, should be possible.
But possibly a much larger problem is the up to thirty level crossings on the triangle of lines between Hull, Leeds and Sheffield.
Full ERTMS In-Cab Digital Signalling
This is currently, being installed between London and Doncaster and will allow 140 mph running, which could save several minutes on the route.
The next phase could logically extend the digital signalling as far as York and Leeds.
Extending this signalling to Hull and Sheffield, and all the lines connecting the cities and towns of East Yorkshire could be a sensible development.
It might even help with swing bridges by controlling the speed of approaching trains, so that they arrive at the optimal times to cross.
Electrification
Eventually, all of these routes will be fully electrified.
- Hull and Leeds via Brough, Selby and Garforth.
- Hull and Scarborough via Beverley and Seamer.
- Hull and Sheffield via Brough, Goole, Doncaster and Rotherham.
- Hull and York via Brough and Selby.
- York and Scarborough via Seamer.
But there are two problems which make the electrification of the routes to Hull challenging.
- The Grade II Listed Selby swing bridge.
- The Grade II* Listed Goole Railway swing bridge.
There will be diehard members of the Heritage Lobby, who will resist electrification of these bridges.
Consider.
- Both bridges appear to work reliably.
- Adding the complication of electrification may compromise this reliability.
- Train manufacturers have developed alternative zero-carbon traction systems that don’t need continuous electrification.
- Hitachi have developed battery electric versions of the Class 800 and Class 802 trains, that regularly run to and from Hull.
- Other manufacturers are developing hydrogen-powered trains, that can use both hydrogen and overhead electrification for traction power.
My Project Management experience tells me, that electrification of these two bridges could be the major cost and the most likely cause of delay to the completion of the electrification.
It should also be noted that Network Rail are already planning to electrify these routes.
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury on the TransPennine Route, which might be extended to between Huddersfield and Leeds.
- York and Church Fenton
There is also electrification at Doncaster, Leeds and York on the East Coast Main Line, which would probably have enough power to feed the extra electrification.
Hitachi’s Regional Battery Trains
Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation are developing a Regional Battery Train.
This Hitachi infographic gives the specification.
Note.
- The train has a range of 90 kilometres or 56 miles on battery power.
- It has an operating speed of 100 mph on battery power.
- Class 800 and Class 802 trains can be converted to Hitachi Regional Battery Trains, by swapping the diesel engines for battery packs.
When running on electrification, they retain the performance of the train, that was converted.
Discontinuous Electrification
I would propose using discontinuous electrification. by electrifying these sections.
- Hull and Brough – 10.5 miles
- Hull and Beverley – 13 miles
- Doncaster and Sheffield – 20 miles
- Selby and Leeds – 21 miles
- Selby and Temple Hirst Junction – 5 miles
- Seamer and Scarborough – 3 miles
This would leave these gaps in the electrification in East Yorkshire.
- Brough and Doncaster – 30 miles
- Brough and Selby – 21 miles
- Brough and Church Fenton – 31 miles
- Seamer and Beverley – 42 miles
- Seamer and York – 39 miles
A battery electric train with a range of fifty miles would bridge these gaps easily.
This approach would have some advantages.
- There would only need to be 72.5 miles of double-track electrification.
- The swing bridges would be untouched.
- TransPennine services terminating in Hull and Scarborough would be zero-carbon, once Huddersfield and Dewsbury is electrified.
- LNER and Hull Trains services to London Kings Cross would be zero-carbon and a few minutes faster.
- LNER could run a zero-carbon service between London Kings Cross and Scarborough.
But above all, it would cost less and could be delivered quicker.
Collateral Benefits Of Doncaster and Sheffield Electrication
The extra electrification between Doncaster and Sheffield, would enable other services.
- A zero-carbon service between London Kings Cross and Sheffield.
- Extension of Sheffield’s tram-train to Doncaster and Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
- A possible electric service along the Dearne Valley.
As plans for Sheffield’s rail and tram system develop, this electrification could have a substantial enabling effect.
Hydrogen
This map shows the Zero Carbon Humber pipeline layout.
Note.
- The orange line is a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline
- The black line alongside it, is a proposed hydrogen pipeline.
- Drax, Keadby and Saltend are power stations.
- Easington gas terminal is connected to gas fields in the North Sea and also imports natural gas from Norway using the Langeled pipeline.
- There are fourteen gas feels connected to Easington terminal. Some have been converted to gas storage.
I can see hydrogen being used to power trains and buses around the Humber.
Conclusion
Discontinuous electrification could be the key to fast provision of electric train services between Leeds and Sheffield and Hull.
If long journeys from Hull were run using battery electric trains, like the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, perhaps hydrogen trains could be used for the local services all over the area.
Project Management Recommendations
I have proposed six sections of electrification, to create a network to allow all services that serve Hull and Scarborough to be run by battery electric trains.
Obviously with discontinuous electrification each section or group of sections to be electrified is an independent project.
I proposed that these sections would need to be electrified.
- Hull and Brough – 10.5 miles
- Hull and Beverley – 13 miles
- Doncaster and Sheffield – 20 miles
- Selby and Leeds – 21 miles
- Selby and Temple Hirst Junction – 5 miles
- Seamer and Scarborough – 3 miles
They could be broken down down into four sections.
- Hull station, Hull and Brough and Hull and Beverley
- Doncaster and Sheffield
- Selby station, Selby and Leeds and Selby and Temple Hirst Junction.
- Scarborough station and Scarborough and Seamer.
I have split the electrification, so that hopefully none is challenging.
Northern Powerhouse Rail – Significant Upgrades And Journey Time Improvements To The Hope Valley Route Between Manchester And Sheffield
In this article on Transport for the North, which is entitled Northern Powerhouse Rail Progress As Recommendations Made To Government, one of the recommendations proposed for Northern Powerhouse Rail is significant upgrades and journey time improvements to the Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield.
I shall look at a few of the possibilities for the route.
Northern Powerhouse Rail’s Objective For The Route
Wikipedia, other sources and my calculations say this about the trains between Manchester and Sheffield.
- The distance between the two stations is 42.6 miles
- The current service takes 49 to 57 minutes and has a frequency of two trains per hour (tph)
- This gives an average speed of 52.2 mph for the fastest journey.
- The proposed service with Northern Powerhouse Rail will take 40 minutes and have a frequency of four tph.
- This gives an average speed of 63.9 mph for the journey.
This last figure of 63.9 mph, indicates to me that a 100 mph train will be able to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail’s objective.
Current Trains On The Hope Valley Line
In July this year, I went along the Hope Valley Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Dore and Totley stations, which I wrote about in Along The Hope Valley Line – 13th July 2020.
My train was a pair of refurbished Class 150 trains.
These trains can handled the current timetable but they have an operating speed of only 75 mph.
Looking at Real Time Trains for last week, it now appears that Northern are using new three-car Class 195 trains.
These are much better.
- They are 100 mph trains with much better acceleration.
- The train was still running the timetable for the slower trains.
With thirteen stops, I suspect that these new trains could be under fifty minutes between Manchester and Sheffield.
Will The Hope Valley Line Be Electrified?
Consider.
- Currently, the Hope Valley Line is electrified between Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations.
- In the future, the line is likely to be electrified between Sheffield and Dore & Totley stations, in conjunction with rebuilding the Midland Main Line, to the North of Clay Cross North junction for High Speed Two.
- After the electrification at the Eastern end, just over thirty miles will be without electrification.
- The Hope Valley Line has an operating speed of 90 mph.
This Hitachi infographic shows the specification of the Hitachi Regional Battery train.
As these are a 100 mph train with a range of 90 km or 56 miles on battery power, these trains could work Manchester and Sheffield in the required time of forty minutes. provided they could be charged at the Sheffield end of the route.
TransPennine’s Class 802 trains can be fitted with batteries to become Regional Battery Trains, so it would appear that TransPennine’s services on this route could go zero-carbon.
In addition Northern, who are the other passenger operator on the route are working with CAF on battery electric trains, as I wrote about in Northern’s Battery Plans,
I don’t believe there are pressing reasons to electrify the Hope Valley Line to allow passenger trains to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail’s objective.
Will Operating Speed On The Hope Valley Line Be Increased?
Under Plans in the Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line, this is said.
Network Rail, in partnership with South Yorkshire ITA, will redouble the track between Dore Station Junction and Dore West Junction, at an estimated cost of £15 million. This costing is based on four additional vehicles in traffic to deliver the option, however, this will depend on vehicle allocation through the DfT rolling stock plan. This work will be programmed, subject to funding, in conjunction with signalling renewals in the Dore/Totley Tunnel area.
Other proposals include a 3,600 feet (1,100 m) loop in the Bamford area, in order to fit in an all-day (07:00–19:00) hourly Manchester–Sheffield via New Mills Central stopping service, by extending an existing Manchester–New Mills Central service. Planning permission for this was granted in February 2018, but delays mean that this will now not be completed until 2023.
These changes to allow three fast trains, a stopping train and freight trains each hour were also supported in a Transport for the North investment report in 2019, together with “further interventions” for the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme.
It would also probably be a good idea, to increase the operating speed of the line to 100 mph where possible.
Effect On Passenger Services
100 mph trains on a track with an operating speed of 100 mph, could show some impressive timings.
On the Great Eastern Main Line, which is a very busy 100 mph double-track railway, 100 mph trains, achieve a 77 mph average for 90 minutes over the 115 miles, between London Liverpool Street and Norwich with a single stop.
A one-stop Manchester and Sheffield service at this speed would take just 33.2 minutes.
The stopping trains would be more of a challenge to get under forty minutes, but at least if they were battery electric trains, they’d have the better acceleration and deceleration of the electric trains.
- Fifty minutes would be a realistic time.
- Ten minutes turnround time at each end, would be ideal for charging the batteries and give an efficient two hour round trip.
Efficient timetabling could create a very comprehensive service for the Hope Valley Line.
Freight Trains On The Hope Valley Line
Under Freight in the Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line, this is said.
Over a million tons of cement a year is taken away by rail from Earle’s Sidings at Hope.
That is a very large number of freight trains, all of which are currently hauled by diesel locomotives.
- Looking at Real Time Trains, there are nearly always two freight trains in every hour of the day.
- If you look at the routes, they go to a myriad number of destinations.
- Following the routes between Dore Junction and the quarries to the South of the Hope Valley Line, there are several tunnels.
- There are numerous quarries in a cluster, all served by their own rail lines.
Electrifying the delivery of the cement and limestone from the quarries would be a large and very expensive operation.
This Google Map shows Earle’s Sidings at Hope.
Perhaps a half-way house solution would be to use diesel to haul trains between the quarries and Earle’s sidings, where the locomotive is changed for an electric one?
- But that would then mean that all routes from between the Peak District quarries and their destinations would need to be fully-electrified.
- It should be noted that that the problem of zero-carbon trains, also exists at port and rail freight interchanges, where safe operation with 25 KVAC overhead wires everywhere can be a nightmare.
- Rail freight companies are unlikely to change their old diesel locomotives for new expensive electric locomotives, until all possible routes are fully electrified.
- It is also a big problem, all over the world.
Perhaps, what is needed is a self-powered zero-carbon locomotive with sufficient power to haul the heaviest trains?
I believe such a locomotive is possible and in The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive, I explored the feasibility of such a locomotive, which was based on a Stadler Class 68 locomotive.
The zero-carbon locomotive, that is eventually developed, may be very different to my proposal, but the commercial opportunities for such a locomotive are so large, that I’m sure the world’s best locomotive designers are working on developing powerful locomotives for all applications.
Conclusion
Northern Powerhouse Rail’s ambition for Manchester and Sheffield via the Hope Valley Line is simply stated as four tph in forty minutes. But this may be something like.
- Three fast tph in forty minutes.
- One stopping tph in perhaps fifty minutes.
- One freight tph in each direction to and from the quarries that lie to the South of the line.
I didn’t realise how close that the line is to that objective, once the following is done.
- Introduce 100 mph passenger trains on the route.
- Improve the track as has been planned for some years.
Note that all the passenger trains, that now run the route; Class 185, 195 and 802 trains, are all 100 mph trains, although they are diesel-powered.
With a length of just under 43 miles, the route is also ideal for battery electric trains to work the passenger services, be the trains be from Hitachi, CAF or another manufacturer, after High Speed Two electrifies the Midland Main Line to the North of Clay Cross North Junction, in preparation for high speed services between London and Sheffield.
I would recommend, that one of High Speed Two’s first Northern projects, should be to upgrade the Midland Main Line between Clay Cross North junction and Sheffield station to the standard that will be required for High Speed Two.
I would also recommend, that the Government sponsor the development of a hydrogen electric locomotive with this specification.
- Ability to use 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC electrification
- 110 mph operating speed on electrification.
- Ability to use hydrogen.
- 100 mph operating speed on hydrogen.
- 200 mile range on hydrogen.
A locomotive with this specification would go a long way to decarbonise rail freight in the UK and would have a big worldwide market.
Project Management Recommendations
This project divides neatly into three.
- Perform the upgrades at Dore Junction and add the loop in the Bamford area, as detailed in Wikipedia, which will increase the capacity of the Hope Valley Line.
- Electrify the Midland Main Line between Clay Cross North junction and Sheffield, as will be needed for High Speed Two. This electrification will allow battery electric trains to run between Manchester and Sheffield and between Sheffield and London.
- Procurement of the trains. CAF and Hitachi are currently finalising suitable designs for this type of operation.
It would also be helpful, if the freight trains could be hauled by zero-carbon hydrogen electric locomotives, to create a much-improved zero-carbon route between Manchester and Sheffield.
How Many Trains Are Needed To Run A Full Service On High Speed Two?
The latest High Speed Two schedule was published in the June 2020 Edition of Modern Railways.
The Two Train Classes
Two separate train classes have been proposed for High Speed Two.
Full-Size – Wider and taller trains built to a European loading gauge, which would be confined to the high-speed network (including HS1 and HS2) and other lines cleared to their loading gauge.
Classic-Compatible – Conventional trains, capable of high speed but built to a British loading gauge, permitting them to leave the high speed track to join conventional routes such as the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line.
The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two has a section entitled Rolling Stock, where this is said about the design.
Both types of train would have a maximum speed of at least 360 km/h (225 mph) and a length of 200 metres (660 ft); two units could be joined together for a 400-metre (1,300 ft) train. It has been reported that these longer trains would have approximately 1,100 seats.
These are some of my thoughts.
Seating Density
I would assume that this means that a single 200 metre train, will have a capacity of approximately 550 seats or a density of 2.75 seats per metre. How does that compare with other trains?
- 9-car Class 801 train – 234 metres – 611 seats – 2.61 seats/metre
- 7-car Class 807 train – 182 metres – 453 seats – 2.49 seats/metre
- 9-car Class 390 train – 217.5 metres – 469 seats – 2.16 seats/metre
- 11-car Class 390 train – 265.3 metres – 589 seats – 2.22 seats/metre
- 12-car Class 745/1 train – 236.6 metres – 767 seats – 3.24 seats/metre
- 16-car Class 374 train – 390 metres – 902 seats – 2.31 seats/metre
Note.
- What I find strange with these figures, is that I feel most crowded and cramped in a Class 390 train. Could this be because the Pendelino trains are eighteen years old and train interior design has moved on?
- But I always prefer to travel in a Hitachi Class 80x train or a Stadler Class 745 train.
I very much feel that a seating density of 2.75 seats per metre, designed using some of the best modern practice, could create a train, where travelling is a very pleasant experience.
Step-Free Access
I have travelled in high speed trains all over Europe and have yet to travel in one with step-free access.
Surely, if Stadler can give their trains step-free access everybody can.
The pictures shows step-free access on Stadler Class 745 and Class 755 trains.
If I turned up pushing a friend in a wheelchair, would I be able to push them in easily? Or better still will they be able to wheel themselves in?
A Greater Anglia driver tp;d me recently, that now they never have to wait anymore for wheelchairs to be loaded.
So surely, it is in the train operator’s interest to have step-free access, if it means less train delays.
Double-Deck Trains
In my view double-deck trains only have one only good feature and that is the ability to see everything, if you have a well-designed window seat.
I may be seventy-three, but I am reasonably fit and only ever travel on trains with airline-sized hand baggage. So I don’t find any problem travelling upstairs on a double-deck bus or train!
But it could have been, so very different, if my stroke had been a bit worse and left me blind or in a wheelchair for life.
I have seen incidents on the Continent, which have been caused by double-deck trains.
- A lady of about eighteen in trying to get down with a heavy case dropped it. Luckily it only caused the guy she was travelling with, to roll unhurt down the stairs.
- Luggage is often a problem on Continental trains because of the step-up into the train and access is worse on double deck trains.
- I also remember on a train at Leipzig, when several passengers helped me lift a guy and his wheelchair out of the lower deck of a double-deck train, which was lower than the platform, as they often are with double-deck trains.
I am not totally against double-deck trains, but they must be designed properly.
Consider.
- High Speed Two’s Full-Size trains will only use London Euston, Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange, Birmingham Curzon Street, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly, East Midlands Hub and Leeds stations.
- All stations used by Full-Size trains will be brand-new or substantially rebuilt stations.
- Someone sitting in a wheelchair surely has the same right to a view from the top-deck of a double-deck train as anybody else.
- Jumbo jets seemed to do very well without a full-length top-deck.
- The A 380 Superjumbo has been designed so that entry and exit on both decks is possible.
I feel if High Speed Two want to run double-deck trains, an elegant solution can surely be found.
A Crude Estimate On The Number Of Trains
This is my crude estimate to find out how many trains, High Speed Two will need.
Western Leg
These are the services for the Western Leg between London , Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Train 1 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 2 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 3 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 4 – London Euston and Lancaster – Classic Compatible – 2 hours 3 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
- Train 4 – London Euston and Liverpool – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 34 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 5 – London Euston and Liverpool – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 34 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 6 – London Euston and Macclesfield – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 30 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 7 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
- Train 8 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
- Train 9 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
- Train 10 – London Euston and Edinburgh – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 48 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
- Train 10 – London Euston and Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 40 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
- Train 11 – London Euston and Edinburgh – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 48 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
- Train 11 – London Euston and Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 40 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
- Train 12 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh or Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 20 minutes – 7 hour Round Trip – 7 trains
- Train 13 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 200 metre Full-Size – 41 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
- Train 14 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 200 metre Full-Size – 41 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
Note.
- I have assumed 400 metre Full-Size trains will be a pair of 200 metre trains.
- Trains 4, 10 and 11 are pairs of 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe. Carlisle and Carlisle respectively.
- Trains 5 and 6 are single 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains.
- The full schedule will need 34 Full-Size trains and 56 Classic-Compatible trains
According to Wikipedia, the first order will be for 54 Classic-Compatible trains, so I would assume, that more trains will be ordered.
Eastern Leg
These are the services for the Eastern Leg between London , Birmingham, East Midlands Hub, Leeds, Sheffield, York and Newcastle.
- Train 15 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 200 metre Full-Size – 49 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
- Train 16 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 200 metre Full-Size – 49 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
- Train 17 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 57 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
- Train 18 – London Euston and Sheffield – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 27 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 18 – London Euston and Leeds – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 3 trains
- Train 19 – London Euston and Leeds – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
- Train 20 – London Euston and Leeds – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
- Train 21 – London Euston and Sheffield – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 27 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
- Train 21 – London Euston and York – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 24 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 3 trains
- Train 22 – London Euston and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 2 hour 17 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
- Train 23 – London Euston and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 2 hour 17 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
Note.
- I have assumed 400 metre Full-Size trains will be a pair of 200 metre trains.
- Trains 15 and 16 work as a pair,
- Trains 18 and 21 are pairs of 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains, that split and join at East Midlands Hub.
- Trains 22 and 23 are single 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains
- The full schedule will need 16 Full-Size trains and 29 Classic-Compatible trains.
Adding the two legs together and I estimate that 50 Full-Size trains and 85 Classic-Compatible trains, will be needed to run a full schedule.
Trains Per Hour On Each Section
It is possible to make a table of how many trains run on each section of the High Speed Two network in trains per hour (tph)
- London Euston (stops) – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
- London Euston and Old Oak Common – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
- Old Oak Common (stops) – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
- Old Oak Common and Birmingham Interchange – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
- Birmingham Interchange (stops) – 2, 3, 7, 11, 20 – 5 tph
- Birmingham Curzon Street (stops) – 1-3, 12-14, 15-17 – 9 tph
- Birmingham and Crewe – 4,5, 7-9, 10-14 – 10 tph
- Crewe (stops) – 4,5 – 2 tph
- Crewe and Liverpool – 4,5 – 2 tph
- Crewe and Lancaster – 4, 10-12 – 4 tph
- Crewe and Manchester – 7-9, 13, 14 – 5 tph
- Crewe and Wigan via Warrington – 4 – 1 tph
- Crewe and Wigan via High Speed Two (new route) – 10-12 – 3 tph
- Lancaster (stops) 4 – 1 tph
- Lancaster and Carlisle – 10-12 – 3 tph
- Carlisle and Edinburgh – 10-12 – 2.5 tph
- Carlisle and Glasgow – 10-12 – 2.5 tph
- Birmingham and Stoke – 6 – 1 tph
- Stoke (stops) – 6 – 1 tph
- Stoke and Macclesfield – 6 – 1 tph
- Macclesfield (stops) – 6 – 1 tph
- Birmingham and East Midlands Hub – 15-17, 18-20, 21-23 – 9 tph
- East Midlands Hub (stops) – 15-17, 18-20, 21 – 7 tph
- East Midlands Hub and Sheffield – 18, 21 – 2 tph
- Sheffield (stops) – 18, 21 – 2 tph
- Midlands Hub and Leeds – 15, 16, 18-20 – 5 tph
- Leeds (stops) – 15, 16, 18-20 – 5 tph
- East Midlands Hub and York – 17, 21-23 – 4 tph
- York (stops) – 17, 21-23 – 4 tph
- York and Newcastle – 17, 22, 23 – 3 tph
- Newcastle (stops) – 17, 22, 23 – 3 tph
These are a few thoughts.
Capacity Of The Southern Leg
The busiest section is between London Euston and Birmingham Interchange, which handles 17 tph.
As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives a path for recovery, according to the article.
Trains Serving Euston
The following train types serve London Euston station.
- Full-Size – 8 tph
- 400 metre Classic-Compatible – 5 tph
- 200 metre Classic-Compatible – 4 tph
In the current service proposal, , Trains 5,6, 22 and 23 are just single 200 metre Classic Compatible trains.
This is inefficient and another four tph could be run into Euston station, by the use of appropriate splitting and joining.
- Train 5 could run an identical manner to Train 4 to give extra services to Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay.
- Train 6 to Macclesfield is a problem and perhaps should call at Birmingham Interchange, where it could split and join to serve somewhere else like Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.
- Trains 22 and 23 could split and join at East Midlands Hub and serve other places in the East of England like Cleethorpes, Hull, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Scarborough.
Paths are expensive entities to provide and every path into Euston should support a 400 metre train or a pair of 200 metre trains.
Platform Use At Euston
This page on the High Speed Two web site, gives details of Euston High Speed Two station.
HS2 will deliver eleven new 400m long platforms, a new concourse and improved connections to Euston and Euston Square Underground stations. Our design teams are also looking at the opportunity to create a new northerly entrance facing Camden Town as well as new east-west links across the whole station site.
So how will the eleven platforms be used?
Destinations served from London are planned to be as follows.
- Birmingham Curzon Street – Full-Size – 3 tph
- Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
- Lancaster – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
- Leeds – Full-Size – 2 tph – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
Liverpool – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
- Macclesfield – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
- Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size – 3 tph
- Newcastle – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
- Sheffield – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
- York – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
That is ten destinations and there will be eleven platforms.
I like it! Lack of resources is often the reason systems don’t work well and there are certainly enough platforms.
Could platforms be allocated something like this?
- Birmingham Curzon Street – Full-Size
- Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible
- Leeds – Full-Size
- Liverpool – Classic-Compatible – Also serves Lancaster
- Macclesfield – Classic-Compatible
- Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size
- Newcastle – Classic-Compatible
- Sheffield – Classic-Compatible – Also serves Leeds and York
Note.
- No platform handles more than three tph.
- There are three spare platforms.
- Each platform would only be normally used by one train type.
- Only Birmingham Interchange, East Midlands Hub, Leeds, Preston and York are not always served from the same platform.
Platform arrangements could be very passenger- and operator-friendly.
Platform Use At Birmingham Curzon Street
Birmingham Curzon Street station has been designed to have seven platforms.
Destinations served from Birmingham Curzon Street station are planned to be as follows.
- Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
- Leeds – Full-Size – 2 tph
- London Euston – Full-Size – 3 tph
- Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size – 2 tph
- Newcastle – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
- Nottingham – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
Note.
- The Nottingham service has been proposed by Midlands Engine Rail, but will be running High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
- That is six destinations and there will be seven platforms.
I like it! For the same reason as London Euston.
Could platforms be allocated something like this?
- Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible
- Leeds – Full-Size
- London Euston – Full-Size
- Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size
- Newcastle/Nottingham – Classic-Compatible
Note.
- No platform handles more than three tph.
- There are two spare platforms.
- Each platform would only be normally used by one train type.
- Only East Midlands Hub is not always served from the same platform.
Platform arrangements could be very passenger- and operator-friendly.
Back-to-Back Services via Birmingham Curzon Street
The current plan for High Speed Two envisages the following services between the main terminals served by Full-Size trains.
- London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 3 tph – 45 minutes
- London Euston and Leeds – 2 tph – 81 minutes
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 3 tph – 71 minutes
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 2 tph – 40 minutes
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph – 41 minutes
Suppose a traveller wanted to go between East Midlands Hub and Manchester Airport stations.
Wouldn’t it be convenient if the Leeds to Birmingham Curzon Street train, stopped in Birmingham Curzon Street alongside the train to Manchester Airport and Piccadilly, so passengers could just walk across?
Or the two services could be run Back-to-Back with a reverse in Birmingham Curzon Street station?
Note.
- The current fastest times between Nottingham and Manchester Airport stations are around two-and-a-half hours, with two changes.
- With High Speed Two, it looks like the time could be under the hour, even allowing up to eight minutes for the change at Birmingham Curzon Street.
The design of the track and stations for High Speed Two, has some interesting features that will be exploited by the train operator, to provide better services.
Capacity Of The Western Leg Between Birmingham And Crewe
The section is between Birmingham and Crewe, will be running 10 tph.
As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.
But where will they come from?
High Speed One copes well with a few interlopers in the shape of Southeastern’s Class 395 trains, which run at 140 mph, between the Eurostars.
High Speed Two is faster, but what is to stop an operator running their own Classic-Compatible trains on the following routes.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool via Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Holyhead via Crewe, Chester and an electrified North Wales Coast Line.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Blackpool via Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Blackburn and Burnley via Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.
Note.
- If these trains were say 130 metres long, they could call at all stations, without any platform lengthening.
- I’m sure that the clever engineers at Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation could come up with battery electric Classic-Compatible train, that could run at 225 mph on High Speed Two and had a battery range to reach Holyhead, with a small amount of electrification.
- A pair of trains, could work the last two services with a Split/Join at Preston.
The advantages of terminating these service in Birmingham Curzon Street would be as follows.
- A lot more places get a fast connection to the High Speed Two network.
- Passengers can reach London with an easy change at Birmingham Curzon Street station.
- They can also walk easily between the three Birmingham stations.
But the big advantage is the trains don’t use valuable paths on High Speed Two between Birmingham Curzon Street and London Euston.
Crewe Station
In the current Avanti West Coast timetable, the following trains pass through Crewe.
- London Euston and Blackpool – 4 trains per day (tpd)
- London Euston and Chester – 1 tph
- London Euston and Edinburgh/Glasgow – 2 tph
- London Euston and Liverpool – 1 tph
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 1 tph
Most trains stop at Crewe.
In the proposed High Speed Two timetable, the following trains will pass through Crewe.
- London Euston and Edinburgh/Glasgow – 2 tph
- London Euston and Lancaster/Liverpool – 2 tph
- London Euston and Manchester – 3 tph
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh/Glasgow -1 tph
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 2 tph
Note.
- Only the Lancaster and Liverpool trains stop at Crewe station.
- North of Crewe there will be a three-way split of High Speed Two routes to Liverpool, Wigan and the North and Manchester Airport and Piccadilly.
- High Speed Two will loop to the East and then join the West Coast Main Line to the South of Wigan.
- High Speed Two trains will use the West Coast Main Line to the North of Wigan North Western station.
This map of High Speed Two in North West England was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.
Note.
- The current West Coast Main Line (WCML) and Phase 2a of High Speed Two are shown in blue.
- Phase 2b of High Speed Two is shown in orange.
- The main North-South route, which is shown in blue, is the WCML passing through Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western as it goes North.
- The Western Branch, which is shown in blue, is the Liverpool Branch of the WCML, which serves Runcorn and Liverpool.
- High Speed Two, which is shown in orange, takes a faster route between Crewe and Wigan North Western.
- The Eastern Branch, which is shown in orange, is the Manchester Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- The route in the East, which is shown in blue, is the Macclesfield Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield.
The route of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester Airport and Liverpool has still to be finalised.
Liverpool Branch
Consider.
- The Liverpool Branch will take two tph between London Euston and Liverpool.
- In the future it could take up to 6 tph on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport.
I believe that Liverpool Lime Street station, after the recent updating can handle all these trains.
Manchester Branch
This document on the Government web site is entitled HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation.
It indicates two important recently-made changes to the design of the Manchester Branch of High Speed Two.
- Manchester Airport station will have four High Speed platforms instead of two.
- Manchester Piccadilly station will have six High Speed platforms instead of four.
These changes will help the use of these stations by Northern Powerhouse Rail..
Consider.
- The Manchester Branch will be new high speed track, which will probably be built in a tunnel serving Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.
- The Manchester Branch will terminate in new platforms.
- The Manchester Branch will take five tph between Birmingham Curzon Street or London Euston and Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- In the future it could take up to six tph on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport.
- London Euston and Old Oak Common will be new stations on a tunnelled approach to London and will handle 18 tph.
If London Euston and Old Oak Common can handle 18 tph, I can’t see why Manchester Airport and Piccadilly stations can’t handle somewhere near a similar number of trains.
At the moment eleven tph have been allocated to the Manchester Branch.
I believe that if infrastructure for Northern Powerhouse Rail was designed so that as well as connecting to Manchester and Liverpool, it connected Manchester and the West Coast Main Line running North to Preston, Carlisle and Scotland, services to the following destinations would be possible.
- Barrow
- Blackburn
- Blackpool
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Windermere
Note.
- Edinburgh and Glasgow would probably be a service that would alternate the destination, as it is proposed for High Speed Two’s Birmingham and Scotland service.
- There would probably be a need for a North Wales and Manchester service via Chester.
- All trains would be Classic-Compatible.
If the Manchester Branch were to be built to handle 18 tph, there would be more than enough capacity.
Crewe, Wigan And Manchester
My summing up earlier gave the number of trains between Crewe, Wigan and Manchester as follows.
- Crewe and Manchester – 5 tph
- Crewe and Wigan via Warrington – 1 tph
- Crewe and Wigan via High Speed Two (new route) – 3 tph
This map of High Speed Two where the Manchester Branch leaves the new High Speed Two route between Crewe and Wigan was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.
Note.
- The Manchester Branch runs to the South of the M56,
- The large blue dot indicates Manchester Airport station.
- Wigan is to the North.
- Crewe is to the South.
- Manchester Piccadilly is to the North East.
I believe this junction will be turned into a full triangular junction, to connect Wigan directly to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Barrow, Blackburn, Blackpool, Preston and Windermere could all have high speed connections to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly. Trains could be shorter Classic-Compatible trains.
- A Manchester and Scotland service would take the same route.
Another pair of tracks could leave the junction to the West to create a direct route between Manchester Airport and Liverpool for Northern Powerhouse Rail, by sneaking along the M56.
Suppose extra services were as follows.
- Manchester and Barrow – 1 tph
- Manchester and Blackburn – 1 tph
- Manchester and Blackpool – 1 tph
- Manchester and Liverpool – 6 tph
- Manchester and Scotland – 1 tph
- Manchester and Windermere – 1 tph
The frequencies from the junction would be as follows.
- To and from Crewe – High Speed Two (Manchester) – 5 tph – High Speed Two (North) – 3 tph = 8 tph
- To and from Liverpool – Northern Powerhouse Rail – 6 tph = 6 tph
- To and from Manchester – High Speed Two – 5 tph – Northern Powerhouse Rail – 6 tph – Local – 4 tph – Scotland – 1 tph = 16 tph
- To and from Wigan – High Speed Two – 3 tph – Local – 4 tph – Scotland – 1 tph = 8 tph.
Only the Manchester Branch would be working hard.
The Liverpool Connection
I indicated that another pair of tracks would need to extend the Manchester Branch towards Liverpool in the West for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
- Would these tracks have a station at Warrington?
- Would there be a connection to allow services between Liverpool and the North and Scotland?
It might even be possible to design a Liverpool connection, that avoided using the current Liverpool Branch and increased the capacity and efficiency of all trains to Liverpool.
Capacity Of The Western Leg Between Wigan And Scotland
The sections between Crewe and Carlisle, will be running at the following frequencies.
- Wigan and Lancaster – 4 tph
- Lancaster and Carlisle – 3 tph
- Carlisle and Edinburgh – 2.5 tph
- Carlisle and Glasgow – 2.5 tph
Note.
- The unusual Scottish frequencies are caused by splitting and joining at Carlisle and alternate services to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Any local high speed services and a Scotland service from Manchester, will increase the frequencies.
Over this section the services will be running on an improved West Coast Main Line.
But in some cases the trains will be replacing current services, so the increase in total frequencies will be less than it first appears.
Avanti West Coast currently run the following Scottish services.
- One tph – London Euston and Glasgow via the most direct route.
- One tph – London Euston and alternately Edinburgh and Glasgow via Birmingham.
This means that effectively Glasgow has 1.5 tph and Edinburgh 0.5 tph from London Euston.
The capacity of the current eleven-car Class 390 trains is 145 First and 444 Standard Class seats, which compares closely with the 500-600 seats given in Wikipedia for High Speed Two trains. So the capacity of the two trains is not that different.
But High Speed Two will be running 2.5 tph Between London Euston and both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I would expect, that Class 390 services to Scotland will be discontinued and replaced by High Speed Two services.
Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between Birmingham And East Midlands Hub
The section is between Birmingham and East Midlands Hub, will be running 9 tph
As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.
But where will they come from?
Midlands Engine Rail is proposing a service between Birmingham Curzon Street and Nottingham.
- It will have a frequency of one tph.
- It will be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- The journey will take 33 minutes.
- It will run on High Speed Two infrastructure between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub.
If High Speed Two has been designed with this service in mind, I doubt it will be a difficult service to setup.
- There might be enough capacity on High Speed Two for two tph on the route,
- It could possibly be extended to Lincoln.
It will also depend on the service timing being consistent with an efficient use of trains and platforms.
- Thirty-three minutes is not a good timing, as it means twenty-seven minutes wait in a platform to get a round trip time, that suits clock-face time-tabling.
- The current Lincoln and Nottingham service takes 56 minutes for 34 miles.
- LNER’s London Kings Cross and Lincoln service travels the 16 miles between Lincoln and Newark in 25 minutes.
- I estimate that after track improvements, with a single stop at Newark Castle station, that Nottingham and Lincoln could be achieved in several minutes under fifty minutes.
- This would enable a sub-ninety minute journey time between Birmingham Curzon Street and Lincoln, with enough time to properly turn the trains at both ends of the route.
- The three hour round trip would mean that an hourly service would need three trains.
This is probably just one of several efficient time-tabling possibilities.
Are there any other similar services?
The obvious one is surely Cambridge and Birmingham
- It would run via Peterborough, Grantham, Nottingham and East Midlands Hub.
- It would connect the three big science, engineering and medical centres in the Midlands and the East.
- It could be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
It might even be a replacement for CrossCountry’s Stansted Airport and Birmingham service.
Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between East Midlands Hub And Sheffield
The section between East Midlands Hub and Sheffield, will be running 2 tph
As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.
But where will they come from?
This map of High Speed Two where the Sheffield Branch leaves the new High Speed Two route between East Midlands Hub and Leeds was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.
Note.
- The main route of High Speed Two between East Midlands Hub, is shown in orange and follows the route of the M1 Motorway, towards the East of the map.
- The Sheffield Branch is new track to Clay Cross North Junction, where is takes over the Midland Main Line to Sheffield, which is shown in blue.
- The line going South in the middle of the map is the Erewash Valley Line, which goes through Langley Mill and Ilkeston stations.
I suspect Clay Cross to Sheffield will be an electrified high speed line, with a maximum speed of at least 140 mph.
Could the Erewash Valley Line have been used as an alternative route to Sheffield?
This map of High Speed Two captured from their interactive map, shows the connection of High Speed Two and the Erewash Valley Line to East Midlands Hub.
Note.
- East Midlands Hub is shown by the big blue dot.
- High Speed Two is shown in orange.
- The route to Leeds vaguely follows the M1 Motorway.
- The Erewash Valley Line goes North to the East of Ilkeston.
Would have been quicker and easier to electrify the Erewash Valley Line, as the High Speed Two route to Chesterfield and Sheffield?
- Network Rail updated the route a few years ago.
- It does not have the problems of electrification, through a World Heritage Site, as does the route through Derby.
- It could surely handle two tph, even if they were High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
- Sheffield will be just under ninety minutes from London by High Speed Two, as opposed to two hours now.
I suspect that it all comes down to saving a few minutes to Sheffield and the civic pride of having a High Speed Two connection.
So it looks like we’ll have the following capacity between East Midlands Hub and Sheffield.
- Between East Midlands Hub and Clay Cross North Junction, there will be the High Speed Two capacity of 18 tph.
- Between Clay Cross and Sheffield, there will probably be an upgraded capacity of perhaps 8-10 tph.
It seems a lot of capacity for just two tph.
Consider.
- High Speed Two is planning to run three tph between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub
- Midlands Rail Engine is planning to run one tph between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub
- Four tph is considered a Turn-Up-And-Go service, and could exist between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub.
- Sheffield and Leeds, both probably need a Turn-Up-And-Go service, to and from East Midlands Hub.
- Semi-fast services between Sheffield and East Midlands Hub, calling at Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill and Ilkeston would be possible, by using the Erewash Valley Line.
- The Maid Marian Line will join the Robin Hood Line in adding extra connectivity to East Midlands Hub Station.
- Leeds and East Midlands Hub could have a six tph service courtesy of High Speed Two and Midlands Rail Engine.
Using High Speed Two’s web site, the following times should be possible.
- Sheffield and East Midlands Hub – 27 minutes
- Sheffield and Birmingham Curzon Street – 47 minutes.
Both services allow time for an efficient service.
There are certainly many options to create a Turn-Up-And-Go service between Sheffield and East Midlands Hub and also improve connections to other locations across the area.
Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between East Midlands Hub And Leeds
The section is between East Midlands Hub and Leeds, will be running 5 tph
High Speed Two between Midlands Hub and Leeds is a totally new high speed line.
- As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.
- The Southern section of the leg closely follows the M1 Motorway.
- Leeds, York and Newcastle will be 27, 36 and 93 minutes from East Midlands Hub, respectively.
This map of High Speed Two, which shows the route of the line in Yorkshire, was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.
Note.
- Sheffield is marked by the blue dot in the South.
- Leeds is marked by the blue dot in the North West.
- York is marked by the blue dot in the North East.
- New routes are shown in orange.
- Upgraded routes are shown in blue.
The route seems to open up several possibilities for extra routes.
- Leeds and Sheffield will be used by Northern Powerhouse Rail and there will be four tph, taking 28 minutes.
- Leeds and Bedford via East Midlands Hub has been proposed by Midlands Rail Engine.
- Services between Sheffield and the North via York must be a possibility.
This map of High Speed Two, which shows the routes to the East of Leeds, was captured from High Speed Two’s interactive map.
I think that two things might be missing.
- A full triangular junction would surely allow services between Leeds and the North via York.
- A high speed connection to Hull.
We shall see in the future.
Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between York And Newcastle
The section between York and Newcastle, will be running at a frequency of 3 tph.
Over this section the services will be running on an improved East Coast Main Line.
Conclusion
I shall split the conclusions into various sections.
Route And Track Layout
I think there may be places, where the route and track layout might need to be improved.
- The Manchester Branch probably needs a triangular junction with the Western Leg of High Speed Two.
- How Liverpool is served by Northern Powerhouse Rail needs to be decided.
- The approach to Leeds probably needs a triangular junction with the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
- It is not clear how services will reach Hull.
Hopefully, these issues will become clear in the next year or so.
Capacity
The sections with the highest levels of capacity would appear to be the following.
- London Euston and Birmingham Interchange.
- The Manchester Branch
- The section shared with the East Coast Main Line between York and Newcastle.
- The section shared with the West Coast Main Line between Wigan and Scotland.
But on these sections extra trains can be run.
- Birmingham and North West England
- Birmingham and East Midlands Hub
- East Midlands Hub and Leeds
- East Midlands Hub and Sheffield
- East Midlands Hub and York
I can see, this capacity being filled by high speed local services, like those proposed by Midlands Rail Engine.
Rolling Stock
The only comment, I will make, is that there could be a need for a shorter Classic-Compatible train to work local services.