‘UK-First’ Intercity Battery Trial Exceeds Expectations
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Hitachi.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Intercity battery train completes testing in the north of England, demonstrating superior performance and cost-effectiveness compared to diesel engines.
- Trial confirms single battery technology can reduce fuels costs between 35%-50% and enter and leave stations in zero-emission mode.
- Ahead of Railway 200 celebration, this new UK rail innovation is ready to reduce cost and emissions on the railways.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Today, Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail and TransPennine Express are celebrating the successful completion of the UK’s first intercity battery trial in the North of England.
The powerful 700kw battery technology met, and in some cases even surpassed, the key objectives of the trial, including:
- Fuel costs savings between 35%-50%, surpassing previous predictions of up to 30%.
- Just one battery has managed to power the train to speeds greater than 75mph, clearly demonstrating this technology can enter, alight and exit stations solely in zero-emission battery-mode to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
- Able to achieve all journey times and performance requirements so can meet operators timetable requirements.
- The battery matches the weight of a diesel engine and is installed in the same undercarriage space, ensuring no risk of track degradation and no impact on the passenger environment.
Note.
- I would expect, that most of the fuel cost savings are due to the use of regenerative braking to the battery.
- 75 mph might seem slow, but Hull Trains average slower speeds than this on their diesel sections.
- Running in a non-polluting mode in stations and sensitive areas, is not going to be disliked by anyone.
- The most powerful diesel engines in Class 800 and Class 802 trains are rated at 700 kW. So with the same weight and power, it is not surprising that the performance is the same.
It looks to me, that Hitachi have designed an efficient battery-electric electric train, that can extend services from electrified main lines onto branch lines without electrification.
The One Battery Test Train And Hull Trains
Hull Trains currently run one service to Hull and Beverley and have applied for another service to serve Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield, where the trains would leave the East Coast Main Line at Retford.
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
An Electric Service Between London and Hull/Beverley
Distances for the Hull and Beverley service are.
- ECML and Hull – 58.1 km. – 3 stops
- Hull and Beverley – 13.2 km or 26.4 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
- Trains will be fully-charged, when they leave the ECML.
- Trains could be fully-charged, when they leave Hull station, if the platform they use has a charging system.
- All Hull Trains call in Platform 7 at Hull station.
- The Hitachi press release said “During a trial run, the battery’s impressive power enabled the train to operate solely in battery mode for 70km.” A speed of 75 mph is indicated.
- I would assume the Hitachi train used regenerative braking to help recharge the batteries, at the intermediate stops.
- Trains average around 57 mph between the ECML and Hull and 38 mph between Hull and Beverley.
- Much of the track between the ECML and Hull has a speed limit of 75 mph.
- Much of the track between Beverley and Hull has a speed limit of 70 mph or less.
Because of these figures and what Hitachi have said of the train’s performance on batteries, I am convinced that Hull Trains will use an electrified Platform 7 at Hull station to charge the trains.
These pictures show a Hull Trains’s Class 802 train in Platform 7 at Hull station.
Note.
- The blue Hull Train is in Platform 7 in the pictures.
- Hull station has a classic Victorian cast-iron roof.
- Many other similar platforms have been electrified in the UK.
I believe that this platform can be electrified relatively easily with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
An Electric Service Between London and Worksop/Sheffield
Distances for the Worksop and Sheffield service are.
- ECML and Worksop – 12.2 km. – 1 stop
- Worksop and Sheffield- 25.3 km or 50.6 km both ways. – 1 stop
Note.
1. A train from London will leave Retford with a full battery.
2. Retford and Sheffield is only 37.5 km. So the round trip is only 75 km.
3. A full battery will power the train at 75 mph for 70 km – According to Hitachi.
4. Much of the track between Retford and Sheffield is only 60 mph. So going slower will give an energy saving.
5. Slowing at Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield will give the batteries a small charge.
6. There are no bridges in the Workshop station area, so a mile or so of electrification could be easy.
7. It’s an easy level route.
8. I’ve read somewhere that Hitachi have a full route simulator.
I calculate, that a two minute charge at Worksop would probably be all the train would need to travel the 75 km. on batteries.
We don’t know if Hitachi have licenced some of Vivarail’s FastCharge technology from FirstGroup. This could enable them to extract the maximum value from each stop at Worksop.
The One Battery Test Train And Lumo
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on Lumo’s new service to Rochdale.
As London Euston and Manchester Victoria is fully electrified, the only unelectrified section is the 16.7 km. between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale. This would mean, that to complete the trip, Lumo’s train would need the ability to do 33.4 km on battery power.
As Hitachi’s test train can do 70 km on a full charge, Lumo could use trains with the standard two diesel engine and one battery pack configuration. The battery would be charged on the electrified sections of the route, between London Euston and Manchester Victoria stations.
It looks to me, to be a superb demonstration of the capabilities of a battery-electric InterCity train with two diesel engines and one battery pack.
The One Battery Test Train And LNER
Hitachi’s current test train has two diesel engines and one battery pack.
It is likely that a train with this configuration could be used on several LNER services from King’s Cross.
- Bradford Forster Square – 21.9 km. from Leeds
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from Newark
- Grimsby Town – 97.9 km. from Newark
- Harrogate – 29.4 km from Leeds
- Lincoln – 26.9 km. from Newark
- Middlesbrough – 35.2 km. from ECML
- Cleethorpes – 102.5 km. from ECML
- Scarborough – 67.8 km. from York
Note.
- Some services like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Lincoln could be run by only charging on the East Coast Main Line.
- Some services like those to Middlesbrough and Scarborough could be run by charging at the destination.
- Other services would need more batteries and/or charging at the destination.
I haven’t put in the Scottish services as running them may be more complicated.
Running Longer Distances On Battery Power
This paragraph is from the original Hitachi press release.
This success demonstrates that Hitachi Rail is ready to deliver the next stage of a full intercity battery-electric train. Based on real-world data, such a train would have a range between 100-150km. These ranges can cover significant sections of non-electrified routes, eliminating the need for wires in tunnels or stations, and potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds on electrification projects.
Note.
- I would assume that as many diesel engines as possible would be replaced with battery packs.
- On a typical three-battery Class 800 train, 802 train or Class 805 train, this could be up to three batteries.
- But on a four-battery Class 810 train, this could be up to four batteries.
A strategy would need to be developed for all routes and trains would be configured and allocated to the routes accordingly.
Rail Minister Marks Completion Of £150m Hope Valley Railway Upgrade
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
These first two paragraphs summarise the work.
More reliable journeys are promised on the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield after a £150 million upgrade was completed in early April.
Over the last three years, the existing platform at Dore & Totley station on the south side of Sheffield has been extended to cope with six-coach trains. Meanwhile the second platform has been rebuilt and commissioned (after it was removed in the 1980s), two mechanical signal boxes have been abolished and a new one-kilometre freight loop laid in the Peak District. At Hathersage, a pedestrian crossing has also been removed and replaced with a footbridge.
These are my thoughts.
Dore And Totley Station
The Rail Magazine article says this about the improvements at Dore and Totley station.
Replacing two tracks through Dore & Totley removes a single-track bottleneck that often saw Sheffield to Manchester express services held up by slower stopping services and cement trains destined for Earles Sidings. A nine-day shutdown of the route in March was needed to finish the work.
The new platform sits between the Midland Main Line and the Hope Valley line, so can only be reached via the new footbridge or lifts. As well as the usual ‘blister paving’ slabs marking the edge of the platform, other tactile paving has been laid to help people with visual impairments find their way around the station.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the new layout of tracks at Dore and Totley station.
Note.
- The four tracks at the North of the map go to Sheffield station.
- The Eastern pair of tracks are the Midland Main Line and they go to the South-East corner of the map for Chesterfield and the South.
- The Western pair of tracks are the Hope Valley Line and they go to the South-West corner of the map for Manchester.
- The blue lettering in the middle of the map indicates Dore and Totley station.
- There is a single track curve between the Midland Main Line and the Hope Valley Line, which is mainly used by freight trains.
This secondOpenRailwayMap shows Dore and Totley station in greater detail.
The big improvement is that the Hope Valley Line is now double instead of single track, which must eliminate a lot of delays.
These pictures show the station in July 2020.
The pictures clearly show the single track and platform at Dore and Totley station.
Dore South Curve
Dore South Curve links the Southbound Midland Main Line with the Westbound Hope Valley Line.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the curve.
There is a crossover in the South-West corner of the map, so with careful signalling, trains can use the Dore South Curve in both directions.
Bamford Loop
This is a freight loop between Bamford and Hathersage stations.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the loop.
Note.
- The Hope Valley Line goes diagonally across the map.
- Manchester is to the North-West.
- Sheffield is to the South-East.
- Bamford station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Hathersage station is just off the South-East corner of the map.
- The loop is on the Northern side of the Hope Valley Line.
The loop will most likely be used by trains going to Sheffield or Chesterfield.
Hathersage Footbridge
This Google Map shows Hathersage station.
Note.
- Dore Lane and the B 6001 appear to pass under the railway.
- There appears to be what could be foundations just to the West of the platforms at Hathersage station.
- From pictures found by Google the bridge appears to be a simple steel structure.
I shall have to go and take pictures.
Fast Trains Between Manchester And Nottingham
In the Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line, this is said.
Nottinghamshire County Council and the Department for Transport have investigated the possibility of adding another service that does not call at Sheffield in order to improve the journey time between Nottingham and Manchester. Stopping (and changing direction) in Sheffield, the fastest journey is 110 minutes (in 2019), but the council has estimated bypassing Sheffield would cut the time to 85 minutes. Suggested improvements on a 2+1⁄2-mile (4 km) stretch near Stockport may reduce journey times by 2–3 minutes.
Consider.
- According to Google, the driving time between the two cities is 128 minutes and the motorway route is via the M1 and M62.
- If nearly half-an-hour could be saved between Manchester and Nottingham could be a big saving in journey time.
- Manchester Piccadilly is likely to be rebuilt for High Speed Two and a fast route via Nottingham could be a viable alternative.
- Both Manchester and Nottingham have good local tram and train networks.
- As the electrification of the Midland Main Line progresses, the route will be increasingly suitable for 100 mph battery-electric trains.
A Manchester and Nottingham express service looks to be an easy service to implement after the Hope Valley Line has been improved.
Hourly Stopping Trains Between Manchester And Sheffield
The Wikipedia entry for the Hope Valley Line gives these details for the stopping service between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.
- Trains are hourly.
- Trains call at Reddish North, Brinnington, Bredbury, Romiley, Marple, New Mills Central, Chinley, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley.
- But some services do not call at some or all of Edale, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley giving some 2-hour gaps between services at these stations.
Let’s hope that some of the extra capacity is used to provide a regular service at all stations on the Hope Valley Line.
As in a few years, it will have electrification at both ends, this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.
Completion Date
It appears that the first day, when passengers will be able to use the new upgraded tracks and stations will be Thursday, the 2nd of May.
Conclusion
The improvements, certainly seem to allow extra and improved services through on the Hope Valley Line.
I also feel that in a few years, services will be run by battery-electric trains.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Could Open Access Services Use The Elizabeth Line?
In the February 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths.
The article is mainly about FirstGroup’s proposal for a new Sheffield and London service, running under the Hull Trains brand.
But, this is the last paragraph.
Modern Railways understands First is working on a number of proposals for additional open access services, and this is an early statement of intent. Other existing open access proposals include Grand Union Trains’ plans for London to Stirling and Cardiff to Edinburgh services, along with an already approved London to Carmarthen service, and the recently submitted Wrexham, Shropshire and Midland Railway application for a London to Wrexham service. It is understood other organisations, including MTR and Virgin, are also working up plans for new open access services.
The respected Modern Railways magazine seem to think, that we’ll be seeing more open access services on UK railways.
These are my thoughts.
A Simple Example – London Crosslink
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – London Crosslink, I said this.
In the Wikipedia entry for the London Crosslink, this is the introduction.
London Crosslink was a passenger train service operated by Anglia Railways between Norwich and Basingstoke, using the North London Line to bypass central London. Class 170 Turbostar diesel multiple units were used, and the service operated between 22 May 2000 and 28 September 2002, supported by funding from the Strategic Rail Authority through its Rail Passenger Partnership fund.
As it was discontinued and it doesn’t seem to be sadly missed, I’m not advocating its reinstatement, but just looking how it might be run after the full opening of the Elizabeth Line.
But surely, there were good reasons, why the service was run in the first place and there might be a need in the future.
These are some characteristics of the service.
- There were about half-a-dozen services in both directions every day.
- At its full length it ran between Norwich and Basingstoke.
- Stops included Diss, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Colchester, Witham, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Romford, Stratford, Highbury & Islington, Camden Road, West Hampstead, Brentford, Feltham, Staines, Woking and Farnborough (Main).
- Each service seemed to have a different stopping pattern.
- The timetable wasn’t very regular.
- The route wasn’t fully electrified.
It appears that it may have been a difficult service to timetable.
I lived North of Ipswich for some years.
I never used the London CrossLink service, as I had moved away before the service started in 2000.
- I would have found the change to the Central Line at Stratford station useful.
- I would have found the change to the Victoria Line at Highbury & Islington station useful.
- I would have found the change to Thameslink at West Hampstead station useful.
- Basingstoke would have given access to Greater South-West England.
- I could have got a bus to Heathrow from Feltham.
But getting to Marylebone, Paddington and Waterloo would have still been tedious.
Could a replacement for the London CrossLink be routed via the Elizabeth Line?
- The service would use the Elizabeth Line between Stratford and Reading.
- The service would use the Reading and Basingstoke Line between Reading and Basingstoke.
The route has some advantages over the original route.
- Except for the 13.6 miles between Southcote Junction and Basingstoke, the route is fully-electrified.
- Whitechapel will give access to London Overground services.
- Farringdon will give access to Thameslink services.
- There will be a lot of connections at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street.
- Paddington and Reading will give access to Heathrow, Oxford and West of England services.
- Basingstoke will give access to Greater South-West England.
It is certainly an as-useful route as the original, if not more so.
The Trains
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – Will There Be A Need For Long Distance Class 345 Train?, I set out how a standard Class 345 train could be updated with faster running and a more appropriate interior.
As the Elizabeth Line is likely to need some more trains if High Speed Two is delayed, perhaps some extra trains should be ordered fairly soon.
The Routes
Consider.
- A terminal station would probably need to be electrified to the Elizabeth Line route.
- It would need the infrastructure to turn the trains.
These stations could probably be used as terminal stations.
- Basingstoke
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Colchester
- Faversham
- Hoo – See Extending The Elizabeth Line – A Branch To The Isle Of Grain.
- Ipswich
- Northfleet – For European services at Ebbsfleet International.
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Rochester
- Southampton
- Southend Victoria
There will certainly be others.
Why Use Open Access?
Suppose an operator wants to run a service between Bristol Parkway and Northfleet to give the West Country access to European services.
- The operator takes all the risk and Network Rail get track access charges.
- Do Transport for London get track access charges for the Elizabeth Line tunnels?
- If they get their predictions and sums wrong, they lose the money.
But if they get it right, they probably sell it to an infrastructure company at a profit.
Conclusion
I think open access operation might work through the Elizabeth Line Tunnels.
High Speed Yorkshire
In December 2019, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?, which I started like this.
As currently envisioned, High Speed Two is very much an English project, with the following routes
- London and Birmingham
- London and Liverpool via Birmingham
- London and Manchester Airport/Manchester via Birmingham and Crewe
- London and Sheffield via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub
- London and Leeds via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub
There are large numbers of mid-sized towns and cities that it won’t serve directly.
This is what I said about the East Coast Main Line in the post.
The East Coast Main Line serves the following routes.
- London and Bradford
- London and Cambridge
- London and Edinburgh via Doncaster, York and Newcastle
- London and Harrogate via Leeds
- London and Hull
- London and Kings Lynn via Cambridge
- London and Lincoln via Newark.
- London and Leeds via Doncaster
- London and Middlesbrough
- London and Skipton via Leeds
- London and Sunderland
The East Coast Main Line could become another high speed line.
Extra services could be added.
- London and Norwich via Cambridge
- London and Nottingham
- London and Grimsby and Cleethorpes via Lincoln.
- London and Sheffield via Retford.
Add the East Coast Main Line and High Speed Two together and there could be a wider range of towns and cities served.
- Peterborough and Doncaster could play the same role in the East as Birmingham and Crewe will play in the West.
- The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster will be upgraded to in-cab ERTMS signalling in a few years time, which will allow 140 mph running on several sections of the route.
- Improvements are either under way or being planned to reduce bottlenecks on the East Coast Main Line.
- If High Speed Two can handle eighteen trains per hour (tph), then surely the East Coast Main Line, which has a lot of quadruple track, can handle upwards of twelve 140 mph trains per hour between London and Doncaster, after the improvements to track and signalling.
- I estimate that 140 mph running between London and Doncaster could save as much as twenty minutes.
- I feel that Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York could all be reached in under two hours from London using the existing Azuma trains.
- This morning the 0700 from Kings Cross is timetabled to reach York at 0852. Would it be possible for London and York to be around just ninety minutes?
- Savings would also apply to trains between London and Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Scotland and Sunderland.
- Sub-four hour journeys between London and Edinburgh would be commonplace.
Note that the Internet gives a driving time of nearly three and a half hours between London and Leeds. Surely, two hours or less on High Speed Yorkshire would be much preferable.
I would add this infrastructure.
- There might be a good case to create electrified routes to Hull and Sheffield and between Sheffield and Leeds, but they wouldn’t be needed to start the service or obtain the time savings. But they would ease operation, cut carbon emissions and save a few more minutes.
- A station at Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.
- A parkway station at Barnsley on the Dearne Valley Line with direct services to Doncaster, Leeds, London and Sheffield.
The two latter improvements have been proposed in Sheffield Region’s transport plans.
High Speed Yorkshire should be finished as soon as possible. A completion date of 2024 is not unreasonable.
This was the first time I used the term High Speed Yorkshire.
Benefits Of Digital Signalling On The East Coast Main Line
The obvious benefit is there will be 140 mph running on several stretches of the East Coast Main Line.
But as a Control Engineer, I believe that the digital signalling can be used to eliminate two major bottlenecks on the route.
- The Digswell Viaduct, which I wrote about in Is There An ERTMS-based Solution To The Digswell Viaduct?.
- The Newark Flat Crossing, which I wrote about in Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?.
Digital Signalling will also offer techniques to run more trains per hour on the route.
LNER Orders CAF Tri-Mode Sets
The title of this section, is the same as this article in the December 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, which has this paragraph.
Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.
Note.
- This surprised me, as I’d always expected the Yorkshire routes will be served by Hitachi battery-electric trains.
- But it does look that both Harrogate and Hull stations, have long enough platforms to hold a ten-car train.
- With their tri-mode technology, it also looks like the CAF trains won’t be needed to be charged before returning to London.
The last point would enable them to try out new routes.
But it does look like LNER are planning to strengthen their Yorkshire routes.
- Does Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, also mean that they’re looking at a service to Cleethorpes?
- The curtailment of High Speed Two was hard on Yorkshire.
- The Government has had time to get a verdict from experts on TransPennine Express.
It could just be that, it’s easier to sell rail tickets to Yorkshire folk, than Lancashire folk.
FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service
The title of this section, is the same as that of this press release from First Group.
These two paragraphs outline FirstGroup’s initial plans.
FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has today submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between London and Sheffield to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its award-winning Hull Trains business, building on their successful existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between Hull and London.
Note.
- FirstGroup want to run two trains per day (tpd) between London King’s Cross and Sheffield stations via Retford.
- Services will be non-stop between London King’s Cross and Retford.
- The service will be run by Hull Trains.
- I suspect that Hull Trains will use a fleet of identical Hitachi trains for both services.
- Hull Trains could decarbonise the services by using battery-electric trains.
- I believe a time of 82 minutes will be possible between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
- High Speed Two were promising a time of 87 minutes for their route from London Euston via Birmingham and Nottingham.
I believe there could be up to seven tpd to both Hull and Sheffield.
Timings On High Speed Yorkshire
In FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service, I felt the following is possible, between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
- After the digital signalling is completed between King’s Cross and Retford, I suspect that a 135 mph average speed can be maintained between Woolmer Green and Retford. This would mean that a King’s Cross and Retford time of 68 minutes would be possible.
- If Network Rail improve the track between Retford and Sheffield, I believe that a 70 mph average could be achieved on the Retford and Sheffield section. This would mean that a Retford and Sheffield time of 20 minutes would be possible.
- I would expect at least six minutes would be saved by missing stops.
This gives a time of 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
I will use these timings to calculate other possible times.
- Current time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 82 minutes
- Digitally signalled average speed between Woolmer Green and Retford – 135 mph
- Digitally signalled time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 68 minutes
- Digitally signaled time between London King’s Cross and Sheffield – 82 minutes
These are my estimated timings from London King’s Cross.
Barnetby via Newark Northgate and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes
Barnetby via Peterborough and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 128 minutes
Barnsley via Sheffield
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 112 minutes
Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield
Beverley
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes
Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster
Bradford Foster Square via Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Bradford Interchange via Doncaster
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 166 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Brighouse via Doncaster
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 143 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Brough
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes
Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster
Cleethorpes via Newark Northgate and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 141 minutes
Cleethorpes via Peterborough and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes
Darlington
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 116 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 127 minutes
Doncaster
Operator: Grand Cenreal, Hull Trains, LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 76 minutes
Durham
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 136 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 160 minutes
Eaglescliffe
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton
Edinburgh
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 220 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 234 minutes
Grantham
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 53 minutes
Grimsby Town via Newark Northgate and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 134 minutes
Grimsby Town via Peterborough and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 148 minutes
Halifax via Doncaster
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 153 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Harrogate
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 147 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Hartlepool
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 175 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton
Horsforth
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 124 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Huddersfield via Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 161 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Huddersfield via Sheffield
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 140 minutes
Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield
Hull
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes
Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster
Keighley via Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 178 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 81 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes
Lincoln via Newark Northgate
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 85 minutes
Lincoln via Peterborough
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 99 minutes
Market Rasen via Newark Northgate and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes
Market Rasen via Peterborough and Lincoln
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 115 minutes
Meadowhall via Sheffield
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 90 minutes
Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield
Middlesbrough
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes
Mirfield via Doncaster
Operator: Grand Ccentral
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 136 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Newark Northgate
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 60 minutes
Newcastle
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 137 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 145 minutes
Northallerton
Operator: Grand Central, LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 126 minutes
Peterborough
Operator: Grand Central, LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 40 minutes
Pontefract Monkhill
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 103 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Retford
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 68 minutes
Selby
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 92 minutes
Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster
Sheffield
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 87 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 82 minutes
Shipley via Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 168 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Skipton via Leeds
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 191 minutes
Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds
Sleaford
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 83 minutes
Spalding
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 61 minutes
Sunderland
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 194 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton
Thirsk
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton
Thornaby
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes
Wakefield Kirkgate
Operator: Grand Central
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 118 minutes
Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster
Wakefield Westgate
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 95 minutes
Worksop
Operator: Hull Trains
Served by High Speed Two: No
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 81 minutes
York
Operator: LNER
Served by High Speed Two: Yes
High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 84 minutes
Time to/from London King’s Cross: 98 minutes
Note.
- Times have improved because of the digital signalling.
- As the digital signalling goes further North timings will will come down further.
- Unelectrified branches like those to Beverley, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Sheffield will be improved and further bring down times.
Sheffield could be as low as 80 minutes, with York at 91 minutes.
Hull Trains Sees Biggest Timetable Transformation In Its 23 Year History
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Hull Trains.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Hull Trains has announced it is now running extended 10 carriage trains on a number of its services from Wednesday to Sunday due to growing passenger numbers, bringing an extra 4,000 available seats per week for customers.
Introducing this extra capacity, especially on a Sunday, has been an aspiration of the operator for some time now and it is delighted to finally be able to launch these longer train services. The change will bring additional seats and offers to Hull Trains’ services for customers.
These two paragraphs talks about their performance.
A report released in late 2023 by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), showed that Hull Trains have led the way for long-distance train operators, reporting a 34% growth in journeys compared to the previous year.
This provided further evidence of Hull Trains’ stability and strength with the local open-access operator now delivering 28% more journeys than it was before the pandemic.
So why have they outperformed other operators?
A Local Presence And Name Must Help
So if you’re going to London, you’re probably more likely to use a local train company. It’s also easy to market.
Hull Has One Of The Best Bus/Train Interchanges In The Country
Recently, I went to an SSE presentation about their Hydrogen Pathfinder Project at Aldbrough. This was given at Horden about twenty miles from Hull and the buses to and from the station were just a hundred metres from the platform at Hull station.
They were also reasonable frequent.
At some stations like Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly and Newcastle the bus/train interchange is bad and require a walk halfway across the City Centre.
Money is Tight At The Moment
I suspect that bus and train is cheaper than going by car to the station.
As in many households there are at often two cars, I wouldn’t be surprised that if one partner can manage without a car, a lot of families have reduced the number of cars they have.
This would be difficult in some places as public transport, isn’t good enough to rely on.
So Hull’s excellent bus/train interchange would benefit train operators.
Interestingly, Doncaster has a co-located bus station.
Sheffield Also Is A Good Bus/Train Interchange
Hull Trains proposed new route is London and Sheffield, which I wrote about in FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service.
Conclusion
Hull trains are certainly getting it right, but I do think the buses in Hull help.
FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from First Group.
These four paragraphs outline FirstGroup’s initial plans.
FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has today submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between London and Sheffield to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its award-winning Hull Trains business, building on their successful existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between Hull and London.
FirstGroup’s new proposals comprise two return journeys a day from London King’s Cross, calling at Retford, Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield, and the company aims to provide a faster link between London and Sheffield than alternative services. Almost three quarters of trips between London and Sheffield are currently made by car, with a further 9% of trips made by coach, and a competitively priced new rail offering will help stimulate a shift in transport mode of choice from road to rail.
The new proposed route will give Sheffield the first regular service from London King’s Cross since 1968 and will also give Worksop in Nottinghamshire the first regular direct London trains in decades. FirstGroup estimates there are 350,000 people in the Worksop and Woodhouse catchment areas who will have direct rail access to London because of these proposals. A sizeable number of rail users in these areas currently drive to Doncaster station to pick up faster services to London rather than travelling via Sheffield, and a convenient rail offering from local stations will also help to reduce the number of these car journeys.
Note.
- The press release says this is only the first phase.
- It appears to be an extension of Hull Trains.
- Comments on a news story based on the press release in The Times, have been generally positive.
These are my thoughts.
The Two Routes Are Similar
Consider.
- Beverley is 44.3 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Temple Hirst Junction.
- Hull is 36.1 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Temple Hirst Junction.
- Sheffield is 23.5 miles from the electrified East Coast Main Line at Retford station.
- There is no electrification at Beverley, Hull or Sheffield.
Note.
- Trains must be capable of having a range sufficient to go from the East Coast Main Line to the destination and back again.
- It is slightly surprising that Sheffield station is closest to the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
- Hull Train’s electro-diesel Class 802 trains regularly handle the 88.6 miles to Beverley and back.
It does look like an appropriate number of Class 802 trains could handle Hull Trains current and future services to Beverley, Hull and Sheffield.
Hull Trains Need Ten-Car Trains
Consider.
- In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I show some details of Hull Trains using a pair of five-car trains.
- I’ve since seen ten-car Hull Trains regularly.
- There were two ten-car services on the 29th December 2023 between London King’s Cross and Hull.
Hull Trains must procure enough trains for all possible scenarios.
Intermediate Stations Of The Two Routes
Intermediate stations are.
- Going North from London King’s Cross to Hull, trains call at Stevenage (limited), Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough.
- Going North from London King’s Cross to Sheffield, trains call at Retford, Worksop and Woodhouse.
There are only a small number of stops on the Sheffield service. Is this to reduce the journey time as much as possible?
What Will Be The Time Of The London King’s Cross And Sheffield Service?
Consider.
- Non-stop trains take 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Retford, which is 138.6 miles, so it’s an average speed of 101.4 mph.
- Woolmer Green and Retford are 111.7 miles and will in a couple of years, be digitally signalled.
- Non-stop trains take 66 minutes between Woolmer Green and Retford, which is an average speed of 112 mph.
- I have found a direct Retford and Sheffield train, that takes 31 minutes for the 23.5 miles with six stops, which is an average speed of 45 mph.
- The Retford and Sheffield section has a mostly 60 mph maximum speed.
I can now build a table of times between King’s Cross and Retford based on the average speed North of Woolmer Green.
- 125 mph – 72 minutes
- 130 mph – 70 minutes
- 135 mph – 68 minutes
- 140 mph – 66 minutes
Note.
- Getting a high average speed using the power of digital signalling can save several minutes.
- I have measured an InterCity 125 averaging 125 mph on that section.
I can now build a table of times between Retford and Sheffield based on the average speed.
- 45 mph – 31 minutes
- 50 mph – 28 minutes
- 60 mph – 24 minutes
- 70 mph – 20 minutes
- 80 mph – 18 minutes
Note.
- The planned service is expected to stop only twice after Retford, so if we take off two minutes for each of the four stops not taken, this could reduce the time between Retford and Sheffield by 8 minutes.
- There will be a couple of minutes to add for the stop at Retford.
- I feel a typical journey with 125 mph to Retford, 50 mph to Sheffield, could take 94 minutes
- Currently, the fastest London St. Pancras to Sheffield take around 116-118 minutes.
Hull Trains new service could save 22-24 minutes on the current service.
I also feel a fast journey could involve 130 mph to Retford, 60 mph to Sheffield, could take 88 minutes.
Hull Trains new service could save a few minutes over half-an-hour.
Could The Time Of The London King’s Cross And Sheffield Service Be Under 90 Minutes?
I reckon the following is possible.
- After the digital signalling is completed between King’s Cross and Retford, I suspect that a 135 mph average speed can be maintained between Woolmer Green and Retford. This would mean that a King’s Cross and Retford time of 68 minutes would be possible.
- If Network Rail improve the track between Retford and Sheffield, I believe that a 70 mph average could be achieved on the Retford and Sheffield section. This would mean that a Retford and Sheffield time of 20 minutes would be possible.
- I would expect at least six minutes would be saved by missing stops.
This gives a time of 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
In Anxiety Over HS2 Eastern Leg Future, I said that High Speed Two’s promised London and Sheffield time via a dedicated track would be 87 minutes.
It looks to me that running under full digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line, Hull Trains can beat the HS2 time.
Could Hitachi’s Battery-Electric Trains Handle The Routes?
This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
This is the sub-heading
Accelerate the decarbonisation of intercity rail with batteries.
These paragraphs outline the philosophy of the design of the trains.
A quick and easy application of battery technology is to install it on existing or future Hitachi intercity trains. Hitachi Rail’s modular design means this can be done without the need to re-engineer or rebuild the train and return them to service as quickly as possible for passengers.
Replacing one diesel engine with just one battery reduces emissions by more than 20% and offers cost savings of 20-30%. Our intercity battery powered trains can cover 70km on non-electrified routes, operating at intercity speeds at the same or increased performance.
Wouldn’t it be great, if we could take the diesel engine out of our cars and replace it with an electric power pack?
Paul Daniels would’ve classed it as engineering magic.
But it’s an old engineer’s trick.
As a fifteen year old, I spent time in a rolling mill, building and fitting replacement control systems on large machines. Transistors were used to replace electronic valves and relays.
It’s certainly possible to create a battery pack, that is plug-compatible with an existing diesel generator, that responds to the same control inputs and gives the same outputs.
At the extreme end of this technology, there would be no need to change any of the train’s software.
In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, these were my conclusions for the performance.
- The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
- A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
- The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
- The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.
As the East Coast Main Line to Beverley is a round trip is 88.6 miles, I suspect that Hull Trains’s five-car Class 802 trains will need to be fitted with a full-complement of three batteries.
Will Hull Trains Have An Identical Fleet Of Trains?
An identical fleet must have advantages for train staff, maintenance staff and above all passengers.
I believe FirstGroup have two choices.
- They buy an appropriately-sized batch of identical Class 802 trains.
- They convert their current fleet to battery-electric operation and buy an appropriately-sized batch of identical new trains.
Note.
- The second option means that they fully-decarbonise Hull Trains.
- Neither option would need any new infrastructure.
- I feel this means that this order is more likely to go to Hitachi.
It’ll probably all come down to the accountants.
Retford Station
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks around Retford station.
Note.
- The red tracks are electrified and are the East Coast Main Line.
- The black ones aren’t electrified.
- Doncaster is to the North.
- The black line to the East goes to Lincoln
- The black line to the West goes to Sheffield
- The red line going South-East goes to Peterborough and London.
The unusual loop allows trains to connect from one direction to another.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks in more detail.
Note.
- As before red lines are electrified and black ones aren’t
- Platforms 1 and 2 are on the East Coast Main Line.
- Platforms 3 and 4 are on the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
This third OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms in more detail.
Note.
- The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
- The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
- Northbound tracks are to the left of each pair of lines.
- The dark blue track is the 10 mph chord that connects the Northbound relief line of the East Coast Main Line to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
- Platform 1 is on the Southbound relief line.
- Platform 2 is on the Northbound relief line.
- Unusually, both platforms are on the same side of the line.
- In The Lengths Of Hitachi Class 800/801/802 Trains, I state that the full length of an InterCity 225 train is 245.2 metres.
- I suspect that both platforms can accommodate a full length InterCity 225, as the trains have been calling at Retford since the 1980s.
I doubt Retford station has any problem accommodating a pair of Class 802 trains, which it does regularly.
How Do Northbound Trains Go To Sheffield From Retford Station?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks to the South of Retford station in detail.
Note.
- The yellow tracks are the 125 mph fast lines of the East Coast Main Line.
- The light blue tracks are the 40 mph relief lines of the East Coast Main Line.
- Northbound tracks are to the left of each pair of lines.
Trains needing to stop in Retford station will need to cross to the Northbound relief line to enter Platform 2 at Retford station.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the curve that connects Platform 2 at Retford station to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line to Sheffield.
Note.
- The green tracks are the 60 mph Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
- Sheffield is to the West.
- The blue tracks are the curve that connects Platform 2 in Retford station to the Sheffield and Lincoln Line.
- There appears to be a grade-separated junction, where the two lines join to the West of Retford station.
A Northbound train to Sheffield will take curve and then join the line to Sheffield.
How Do Southbound Trains Go From Sheffield Through Retford Station?
I suspect trains do the opposite from a train going to Sheffield.
The train takes the curve and then stops in Platform 2 facing South.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks to the South of Retford station in detail.
When the train is cleared by the signals to go South, it will leave Retford station going South on the Northbound relief line.
Note that on the map there are two crossovers, which the train will take to get on the Southbound fast line for Newark and London.
As a Control Engineer, I suspect this is the sort of manoeuvre, that modern digital signalling will make slicker and safer.
How Do Northbound Trains Go To Hull From Retford Station?
On leaving the station, the train will continue along the relief line until it merges with the Northbound fast line for Doncaster.
This is exactly as any Northbound train stopping at Retford does now.
How Do Southbound Trains Go From Hull Through Retford Station?
Currently, trains from Hull stop in Platform 1 on their way to London.
- Trains needing to stop in Retford station will need to cross to the Southbound relief line to enter Platform 1 at Retford station.
- When the train is cleared by the signals to go South, it will leave Retford station going South on the Southbound relief line.
- The Southbound relief line joins the Southbound fast line to the South of the station.
This is exactly as any Southbound train stopping at Retford does now.
Could A Hull And A Sheffield Service Run As A Pair And Split And Join At Retford Station?
Consider.
- Class 802 trains, as used by Hull Trains are designed to be run as a pair of trains, with easy coupling and uncoupling between the two trains.
- Hull Trains regularly run services as a pair of Class 802 trains.
- A pair of trains could leave King’s Cross. They would then split at a convenient station, after which the two trains go to different destinations.
- There are advantages with respect to infrastructure charges.
I feel that Hull Trains two services to Sheffield and Hull/Beverley could work as a pair.
- A pair of trains could leave King’s Cross.
- At Retford station they would split, with one train going to Hull and the other to Sheffield.
Coming South they would join at Retford.
How Would Splitting Of A Hull And Sheffield Service Be Performed At Retford Station?
The procedure would be something like this.
- As the pair of train is stopping in Retford station, it would use the relief line to enter Platform 2.
- It would stop in Platform 2.
- The trains would be uncoupled.
- The front train would go to its destination.
- The rear train would go to its destination.
Note.
- As the track to Doncaster and Hull is faster, the front train should probably be for Hull.
- Platform 2 is electrified, so the Sheffield train could top up its batteries .
- The Sheffield train could lower its pantograph.
Uncoupling takes about two minutes.
How Would Joining Of A Hull And Sheffield Service Be Performed At Retford Station?
Consider.
- Joining would have to be performed in Platform 2, as there is no route for a train from Sheffield to access Platform 1.
- North of Retford station there are two convenient crossovers, to allow a train to cross to the Northbound relief line. There are also a couple of loops, where trains could wait.
- As this is coal-mining country, perhaps, they were part of a freight route between Sheffield and Doncaster?
But this infrastructure would allow, a train from Hull to access Platform 2 at Retford station.
As the Sheffield train can easily access Platform 2, the two trains could meet in Platform 2 and then be joined together for a run to London.
Is There A Problem With Splitting And Joining Of the Hull And Sheffield Services?
Earlier, I said these were the stops of the two services.
- Going North from London King’s Cross to Hull, trains call at Stevenage (limited), Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough.
- Going North from London King’s Cross to Sheffield, trains call at Retford, Worksop and Woodhouse.
Surely, if the trains were travelling as a pair, they would need to stop at the same stations to the South of Retford.
But modern digital signalling will allow trains to run closer together, so perhaps this would be the procedure going North.
- The two trains start in the same platform at King’s Cross, with the Sheffield train in front of the Hull train.
- The two trains leave King’s Cross a safe number of minutes apart.
- At its Stevenage and Grantham stops, the Hull train will tend to increase the distance between the two trains.
- The Sheffield train would stop in Platform 2 at Retford station, so that space is left for the Hull train.
- The Hull train will stop behind the Sheffield train in Platform 2 at Retford station.
- The Sheffield train will leave when ready.
- The Hull train will leave when ready.
And this would be the procedure going South.
- The train from Sheffield would line up in Platform 2 at Retford station.
- The train from Hull would line up in Platform 1 at Retford station.
- The train from Sheffield would leave when everything is ready and the train is cleared by the signalling system.
- The train from Hull would leave a safe number of minutes behind the train from Sheffield.
- At its Grantham and Stevenage stops, the Hull train will tend to increase the distance between the two trains.
- The trains could share a platform at King’s Cross.
The digital signalling and the driver’s Mark 1 eyeballs will keep the Hull train, a safe distance behind the faster Sheffield train.
The Capacity Of The Lincoln And Sheffield Line
Looking at the Sheffield and Lincoln Line, it has only an hourly train, that calls at Darnall, Woodhouse, Kiverton Park, Kiverton Bridge, Shireoaks and Worksop between Retford and Sheffield.
- I would suspect that there is enough spare capacity for Hull Trains to run a one train per two hours (tp2h) service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
- If LNER feel that a 1 tp2h frequency is viable for Harrogate, Lincoln and other places, surely Hull and East Sheffield could support a similar service from King’s Cross.
If the services could be run by battery-electric trains, capable of running at 140 mph on the East Coast Main Line and giving times of ninety minutes to Sheffield, this could be a success.
Could Woodhouse Station Become A Transport Hub?
This Google Map shows Woodhouse station.
Note.
- It is certainly surrounded by a lot of houses.
- Could it be provided with car-parking?
Although, as this picture shows it is not blessed with lots of facilities.
But.
- The station is in an area, which Sheffield want to develop.
- The Advanced Manufacturing Centre is nearby.
- There are aspirations to run a tram-train between Sheffield and Chesterfield via Darnall, Woodhouse and Barrow Hill stations.
- The station could be on the tram-train route to Stocksbridge, that I wrote about in Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services.
Woodhouse station could be an interchange or it could become something bigger like a hub station.
How Many Sheffield Services Per Day Could Be Run?
If the Hull and Sheffield trains run as a flight under control of the digital signalling, this will mean that every Hull train can be paired with a Sheffield train.
- There are five trains per day (tpd) to and from Hull and two to and from Beverley.
- It seems a maximum of one tpd in both directions can be a ten-car train.
- Two five-car trains could fit in a platform at King’s Cross.
I suspect that the maximum number of trains per day to and from Sheffield is the same as for Hull. i.e. seven tpd.
But there is no reason, if they have enough trains and paths are available, that Hull Trains couldn’t add extra services to both destinations.
Onward From Sheffield
Several of those, who have commented on the new service have suggested that the service could go further than Sheffield, with Manchester and Leeds being given specific mentions.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at the Northern end of Sheffield station.
Note.
- The pink tracks at the East are the Sheffield Supertram.
- Trains to and from Barnsley, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln and Retford access the station from the Northern end.
- Trains to and from Chesterfield, Derby, London, Manchester and Stockport access the station from the Southern end.
- The tracks in Sheffield station are numbered 1 to 8 from the West.
- There are five through platforms. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8 and two bay platforms at either end.
- An extension of the service to Manchester via the Hope Valley Line, could go straight through the station.
- An extension of the service to Barnsley, Huddersfield or Leeds, would mean the train reversing at Sheffield.
It looks like an extension to Manchester Piccadilly over the recently upgraded Hope Valley Line would be the easiest extension. But would Avanti West Coast, who have FirstGroup as a shareholder want the competition?
Recently, it has been announced that the Penistone Line to Barnsley and Huddersfield will be upgraded to accept two trains per hour (tph) and allow faster running.
Because Sheffield could be around eighty minutes from London, there could be some smart times to and from the capital.
- Meadowhall in 90 minutes
- Barnsley in 112 minutes.
- Huddersfield in 140 minutes.
Huddersfield could be almost twenty minutes faster than the route via Leeds.
Comments From The Times
These are some readers comments from The Times.
- Hope the prices are competitive with LNER. I rarely go to London from Chesterfield with EMR as they’re so expensive. LNER from Newark is much cheaper but a service from Worksop for me would be perfect.
- Excellent News in so many ways. I hope it really takes off which could help ease the congestion on the M1 and also thin out overcrowding on busy LNER services. It really does deserve to succeed.
- This is excellent news. The Lumo service has been a game changer for me and those living in the north east.
The public seem in favour.
Conclusion
I really like this proposal from FirstGroup.
- It has the possibility to provide Sheffield with a fast train link to London.
- It could run about six trains per day.
- It will be faster than High Speed Two was proposed.
It could be the first service of High Speed Yorkshire.
Penistone Line – 15th December 2023
I took these pictures on the Penistone Line today.
Note.
- I started at Sheffield station and travelled to Huddersfield station, before returning to Sheffield on the next train.
- The trains run hourly.
- There are 15 stops.
- The route had good views but it didn’t seem the train worked that hard.
- The route is 36.4 miles and trains are timed to take 75 minutes.
- That is an average speed of 29.1 mph.
- Most services were run by two car Class 150 trains, but some were run by three-car trains.
- The two trains I used were well patronised.
I have some thoughts and observations.
Could The Service Be Run Faster?
Consider.
- 29.1 mph doesn’t seem very fast.
- The maximum speed is 50 mph or less in places.
- The line North of Barnsley is single-track with passing loops at Penistone and Stocksmoor.
- Some of this single-track is on top of high viaducts, so could be difficult to double.
- Between Barnsley and Sheffield is double-track.
- To do the journey in an hour would need an average of 36.4 mph.
- Typically, Greater Anglia run their Class 755 trains at 34-36 mph.
As the Penistone Line has 15 stops, an electric train with faster acceleration and deceleration might be ideal for the route.
But I suspect it would be tight, but possible to do the journey in an hour.
Help And Money Is On Its Way!
This article on Kirkless Together is entitled £48million Funding Boost To Get Penistone Rail Line On The Right Track.
This is the first paragraph.
The government have just announced that we’ve been successful in a bid to their Levelling Up Fund for £48million, to support major improvements to the Penistone rail line.
That certainly sounds like a good start.
The article sums up what the funding means like this.
This funding means we’ll be able to improve the infrastructure along this rail line, and improve access as well. This will make the Penistone line a really important link between Huddersfield, Barnsley and Sheffield!
Improvements are outlined in this paragraph.
It will include station improvements creating better access and waiting facilities, increasing the speed of travel along the line and upgrading the rail infrastructure – including doubling sections of track, which will allow for two trains to travel on the northern section of the line every hour, in both directions.
Note.
- I feel that the current track layout could allow a theoretical two trains per hour (tph) service North of Barnsley, if both passing loops at Penistone and Stocksmoor were to be used.
- But it might not be very resilient to late trains and other problems, so extra double-track might be desirable, if it made the route more reliable.
I would expect that if possible, the improvements would allow trains to go between Sheffield and Huddersfield in an hour, as that would definitely attract more passengers to the service.
Could Battery-Electric Trains Run The Service On The Penistone Line?
Consider.
- Both Sheffield and Huddersfield stations will be electrified in the next few years, so the power supplies will be able to support charging of battery-electric trains.
- Sheffield and Huddersfield is only 36.4 miles.
- Hopefully, the track improvements would make the route less severe.
- The Penistone Line is self-contained with no other services on much of the route.
- There is time to charge the train at each end of the route.
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
I don’t think the terrain of the Penistone line is much different from the Uckfield branch, so what are the figures for a three-car-battery electric train?
The answer would appear to be somewhere between 328 and 546 kWh.
According to the data sheet is now on the Stadler web site, the battery size of a Class 777 train is 320 KWh.
I feel that an off the shelf battery electric train could work the Penistone Line.
Could Tram-Train Operation Be Used?
Consider.
- A Sheffield tram driver told me that Sheffield’s Class 399 Tram-Trains are excellent on hills.
- The cousins of the Class 399 Tram-Trains run a similar service between Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden in Germany on bigger hills.
- Battery-electric Class 399 Tram-Trains are available and are being tested in Wales.
- Sheffield station handles Huddersfield services straight into one of two single bay platforms.
- Huddersfield station handles Sheffield services straight into a single bay platform.
- Major improvements to the Penistone Line will allow two trains per hour on the line.
I suspect if two trains per hour can be run using using diesel multiple units operating as a shuttle, then battery-electric Class 399 tram-trains could do the same.
A Tourist Tramway Across The Pennines
I feel there are possibilities to run tram-trains between Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly via Meadowhall and Sheffield stations.
This would create a unique tourist tramway across the Pennines.
Huddersfield’s magnificient Grade 1 Listed station is being upgraded and electrified.
The Hope Valley Line has been upgraded in the last couple of years.
Through Sheffield will be upgraded and electrified for the Midland Main Line.
Stadler have built vehicles for lines like these in many places.
This could be the spectacular attraction that the North-Centre of England needs.
East Midlands Railway To Leeds
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
This is said about Leeds and Sheffield services.
The line between Sheffield and Leeds will be electrified and upgraded, giving passengers a choice of 3 to 4 fast trains an hour, instead of 1, with journey times of 40 minutes. A new mainline station for Rotherham will also be added to the route, which could give the town its first direct service to London since the 1980s, boosting capacity by 300%.
These are my thoughts.
A New Mainline Station For Rotherham
This page on Rotherham Business News, says this about the location of the Rotherham mainline station.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Rotherham Council have been developing a scheme to return mainline train services to the borough for the first time since the 1980s. A site at Parkgate is the frontrunner for a regeneration project described by experts as “a relatively straightforward scheme for delivery within three to four years.”
Various posts and comments on the Internet back the councils preference for a new station at Rotherham Parkgate.
- It would be at Rotherham Parkgate shopping centre.
- It connects to the tram-trains, which run half-hourly to Cathedral in Sheffield city centre via Rotherham Central.
- There appears to be plenty of space.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks at the current Rotherham Parkgate tram stop.
Note.
- The orange lines are the main railway tracks.
- Rotherham Parkgate is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- Trains would run between Sheffield and Rotherham Parkgate via Meadowhall Interchange and Rotherham Central.
- Trains and tram-trains would share tracks through Rotherham Central.
After passing Rotherham Parkgate trains would go to Swinton, and then on to Doncaster or Leeds.
Sheffield And Leeds Via Rotherham Parkgate
Currently, there is an hourly service between Leeds and Sheffield, that goes through the Rotherham Parkgate site.
- It calls at Outwood, Wakefield Westgate, Sandal & Agbrigg, Fitzwilliam, Moorthorpe, Thurnscoe, Goldthorpe, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Swinton, Rotherham Central, Meadowhall.
- The service takes one hour and thirteen minutes, but there are eleven stops.
- As the distance is 38.9 miles, that works out at an average speed of 32 mph.
I suspect this schedule was written for Pacers.
The Department of Transport is aiming for a forty minute journey, which is an average speed of 58.4 mph.
Consider.
- If you look at the maximum speeds of the route from Rotherham Parkgate to Wakefield Westgate, it is 21.8 miles of 100 mph track.
- About twenty miles to the South of Wakefield Westgate is electrified.
- Leeds and Wakefield Westgate is 10.1 miles of 75-85 mph track.
- LNER’s expresses leave Wakefield Westgate, eleven minutes after leaving Leeds.
- I can find a TransPennine Express that takes thirteen minutes to go between Sheffield and Rotherham Parkgate late at night on the way to the depot.
The eleven and thirteen minutes mean that leaves 16 minutes for Rotherham Parkgate to Wakefield Westgate, if Sheffield and Leeds are to be timed at forty minutes, which would be an average speed of 82 mph between Rotherham Parkgate and Wakefield Westgate.
I feel that for a forty minute journey between Leeds and Sheffield, the following conditions would need to be met.
- Very few stops. Perhaps only Meadowhall, Rotherham Parkgate and Wakefield Westgate.
- 100 mph running where possible.
- 100 mph trains
- Electric trains would help, as acceleration is faster. Battery-electric trains would probably be sufficient.
- Some track improvements might help.
But forty minutes would certainly be possible.
At present there are five trains per hour (tph) between Leeds and Sheffield.
- Northern – 2 tph – via Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley and Meadowhall – 58 minutes
- Northern – 1 tph – via Outwood, Wakefield Westgate, Sandal & Agbrigg, Fitzwilliam, Moorthorpe, Thurnscoe, Goldthorpe, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Swinton, Rotherham Central and Meadowhall – One hour and 13 minutes
- Northern – 1 tph – via Woodlesford, Castleford, Normanton, Wakefield Kirkgate, Darton, Barnsley, Wombwell, Elsecar, Chapeltown and Meadowhall – One hour and 19 minutes.
- CrossCountry – 1 tph – via Wakefield Westgate – 44 minutes
Note.
- Only the second service will go through Rotherham Parkgate.
- The CrossCountry service takes the more direct route avoiding Rotherham Parkgate.
- All trains go via Meadowhall, although the CrossCountry service doesn’t stop.
- If the CrossCountry service was run by electric trains, it might be able to shave a few minutes as part of the route is electrified.
The CrossCountry service indicates to me, that 40 minutes between Leeds and Sheffield will be possible, but a stop at Meadowhall could be dropped to save time.
Extending East Midlands Railway’s Sheffield Service To Leeds
Consider
- Sheffield station has two tph to London all day.
- The CrossCountry service looks like it could be timed to run between Leeds and Sheffield in forty minutes.
- An East Midlands Railway Class 810 train could probably be timed at 40 minutes between Leeds and Sheffield via Meadowhall, Rotherham Parkgate and Wakefield Westgate.
- The current Northern services could continue to provide connectivity for stations between Leeds and Sheffield.
Extending one tph of East Midlands Railway’s trains to Leeds would probably be sufficient to give two fast trains per hour between Leeds and Sheffield.
- The East Midlands Railway and CrossCountry services could provide a fast service between Leeds and Sheffield in forty minutes.
- If they were electric or battery-electric trains, I suspect that they could call at Meadowhall, Rotherham Parkgate and Wakefield Westgate.
- They could be backed up by the two tph through Barnsley, which could probably be speeded up to around fifty minutes by electrification or using battery-electric trains.
The East Midlands Railway service between London and Leeds would be under three hours.
- Rotherham would get an hourly train to London.
- ,London and Leeds in under three hours, would be slower than Leeds and King’s Cross.
- But the electrification of the Midland Main Line would speed it up a bit.
A fast Leeds and Derby service might compensate for the loss of the Eastern leg of High Speed Two.
Sheffield And Doncaster Via Rotherham Parkgate
At present there are three tph between Sheffield and Doncaster.
- Northern – 1 tph – via Meadowhall, Rotherham Central, Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough – 42 minutes
- Northern – 1 tph – via Meadowhall – 28 minutes
- TransPennine Express – 1 tph – via Meadowhall – 27 minutes
Note.
- The first Northern train continues calling at all stations to Adwick.
- The second Northern train continues calling at all stations to Scarborough.
- Both Northern services go through Rotherham Parkgate.
- The TransPennine Express service takes the more direct route avoiding Rotherham Parkgate.
- All trains go via Meadowhall.
These services would give good connectivity for a London train, with a change at Rotherham Parkgate.
Improving Tracks Between Doncaster, Leeds and Sheffield
Consider.
- About 65 % of the main routes between Doncaster, Leeds and Sheffield have a maximum operating speed of 100 mph.
- Doncaster and Leeds is electrified.
- Only 35 miles is without electrification.
- The Midland Main Line is in the process of being electrified to Sheffield.
- There are plans to extend the Sheffield tram-trains to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, that I wrote about in Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
There is also heavyweight electrification infrastructure through Rotherham Central for the Sheffield tram-trains.
As it is only used by the tram-trains it may be only 750 VDC. But it can probably handle 25 KVAC.
- Could these routes be improved to allow faster running?
- Would it be cost-effective to electrify between Sheffield and the East Coast Main Line and the Doncaster and Leeds Line?
- Alternatively battery-electric trains could be run on the routes between Doncaster, Leeds and Sheffield, charging at all three main stations.
Any form of electric train should be faster, as acceleration and deceleration is faster in any electric train, be it powered by electrification, batteries, hydrogen or a hybrid diesel-battery-electric powertrain.
Conclusion
Could Sheffield Station Become A Battery-Electric Train Hub?
Promised Improvements To Train Services At Sheffield
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
Sheffield station gets several mentions of improvement to these routes.
Sheffield And Hull
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Hull.
The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield will be doubled, to 2 per hour, with capacity also doubled.
These points describe typical current services.
- The route is 59.4 miles long.
- Modern Class 170 trains take 78 minutes.
- There are stops at Meadowhall, Doncaster, Goole and Brough.
- The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 70 mph, with one short section of 100 mph.
- The average speed is 45.7 mph.
- The train continues to Scarborough after a six-minute stop at Hull.
I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around an hour would be possible between Sheffield and Hull.
Sheffield and Scarborough takes two hours and 45 minutes. With electrification, this time could be less than two hours and 30 minutes.
But it would be around 113 miles of new double-track electrification.
I believe that Sheffield and Hull is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.
Sheffield And Leeds
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Leeds.
The line between Sheffield and Leeds will be electrified and upgraded, giving passengers a choice of 3 to 4 fast trains an hour, instead of 1, with journey times of 40 minutes. A new mainline station for Rotherham will also be added to the route, which could give the town its first direct service to London since the 1980s, boosting capacity by 300%.
These points describe typical current services.
- The route is 41.1 miles long.
- Modern Class 195 trains take 56 minutes.
- There is a few miles of electrification at the Leeds end.
- There are stops at Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate.
- The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 60-70 mph.
- The average speed is 44 mph.
I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around fifty minutes might be possible between Sheffield and Leeds.
That is not really good enough, but if they went through a new mainline station for Rotherham, the trains would be able to use 100 mph tracks all the way to Leeds. There would also be electrification between South Kirby junction and Leeds.
I suspect forty minutes should be possible with 100 mph running between Rotherham and Leeds.
I believe that Sheffield and Leeds is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.
Sheffield And Manchester
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Manchester.
The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield will also be electrified and upgraded, with the aim of cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from 2 to 3 per hour, doubling capacity.
In Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line, I talked about electrification of the line and how the services on the line could be run by battery-electric trains.
This was my conclusion in the linked post.
I believe that full electrification of the Hope Valley Line is not needed, if battery-electric trains are used.
I also believe that battery-electric trains and the current improvements being carried out on the Hope Valley Line will enable a forty minute time between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.
I believe that the Hope Valley Line could be speeded up, by the use of intelligent engineering, rather than expensive and disruptive electrification.
Don Valley Line
This is said about the Don Valley Line.
Communities will be reconnected through the reopening of lines and stations closed under the Beeching reforms of the 1960s. This will include the restoration of the Don Valley Line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria, and new stations at Haxby Station, near York, Waverley, near Rotherham, and the Don Valley Line from Sheffield to Stocksbridge.
I’ve talked about the Don Valley Line before in Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services.
The Don Valley Line has a comprehensive Wikipedia entry, which is well worth a read.
Could the Don Valley Line be worked by battery-electric trains?
It would appear that these promised improvements to and from Sheffield could be worked by battery-electric trains.
Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, it could also have services, using these trains.
Could Battery-Electric Trains Improve Other Services At Sheffield?
These are some possibilities.
Chesterfield And Sheffield Victoria
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled East Midlands To Benefit From £9.6 billion Transport Investment.
This news story also talks about the Stocksbridge Line and Sheffield Victoria, where this is said.
Funding will also be provided for the Barrow Hill Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield Victoria, with a new station at Staveley in Derbyshire.
I wrote about the Barrow Hill Line in Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield.
In the related post, this was my conclusion.
This looks to be a very sensible project.
- It could be run with either trains or tram-trams.
- It should be electrified, so it could be zero-carbon.
- Tram-trains could be used to make stations simpler.
- It could give an alternative route for electric trains to Sheffield station.
- The track is already there and regularly used.
But surely the biggest reason to built it, is that it appears to open up a lot of South and South-East Sheffield and North-East Chesterfield for development.
Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, Chesterfield and Sheffield could also have services, using these trains.
Sheffield And Adwick
Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Adwick.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Adwick is 22.7 miles.
- Journeys take fifty minutes.
- There are seven intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 27.2 mph.
- Adwick and Doncaster is 4.4 miles and electrified.
- There are generous turn-round times at both ends of the route.
- There are rather unusual reversing arrangements at Adwick.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
- The train could fully charge between Adwick and Doncaster and at Adwick.
- It is only a short route with a round trip under sixty miles.
I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.
Sheffield And Huddersfield
Nothing is said in the news story about train services in the Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Huddersfield is 36.4 miles.
- Journeys take one hour and nineteen minutes.
- There are fifteen intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 27.6 mph.
- Huddersfield is being electrified as part of the TransPennine Upgrade.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
Sheffield And Lincoln
Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Lincoln.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Lincoln is 48.5 miles.
- All Sheffield and Lincoln services start in Leeds.
- Journeys take one hour and twenty-five minutes.
- There are nine intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 34.2 mph.
- There is no electrification.
- Turn-round time at Lincoln is 26 minutes.
- All trains terminate in Platform 5 at Lincoln.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
- Platform 5 could be electrified at Lincoln.
- There may need to be a battery top-up at Sheffield and Leeds.
I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.
Electrification Between Sheffield And London
Consider.
- The Midland Main Line electrification is creeping up from London.
- It should soon be installed between St. Pancras and Market Harborough.
- Sheffield and Market Harborough is 81.9 miles.
- The Class 810 trains that will run the Sheffield and London route can’t be far off entering service.
There might be scope for running battery-electric trains on the route, until the electrification is complete.
A Battery-Electric Train Hub At Sheffield
I believe that a fair proportion of services to and from Sheffield could be run using battery-electric trains or bog-standard electric trains.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Sheffield.
Note.
- The lilac tracks are those of the Sheffield Supertram.
- The darker lines are the tracks in the station.
- Tracks could be electrified as required.
Eventually, Sheffield will be a fully-electrified station, because of the Midland Main Line electrification.
But why not do it sooner rather than later, so that by running new or refurbished battery-electric trains to places like Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, London and Manchester?
- Services would be speeded up by around a minute or two for each stop.
- Faster journeys may attract more passengers.
- Routes would be creating less carbon emission and pollution.
- In some cases, routes would be zero carbon.
Some routes would need electrification at the terminal to charge the trains, but Leeds, London St. Pancras and Manchester are already fully electrified.
Charging Long Distance Battery-Electric Trains When They Stop In Sheffield
These long distance services stop in Sheffield.
- CrossCountry – Plymouth and Edinburgh
- CrossCountry – Reading and Newcastle
- East Midland Railway – London and Leeds
- East Midland Railway – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich
- Northern – Leeds and Lincoln
- Northern – Leeds and Nottingham
- Northern – Sheffield and Cleethorpes
- TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes
battery-electric trains could be given a top-up, as they pass through.
I am assuming that CrossCountry, East Midland Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express will be running suitable battery-electric trains.
Battery-Electric Train Hubs
To be a battery-electric train hub, a station probably needs to have all or nearly all of its platforms electrified.
- It should be able to fully-charge any battery-electric trains terminating in the station, provided that the turn-round time is long enough.
- It should be able to give a through battery-electric train a boost if required, so that it gets to the final destination.
It would appear that there are already several battery-electric train hubs in the England, Scotland and Wales.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool Lime Street station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Manchester Piccadilly station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified, except for the Northernmost platform, and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Leeds station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub, with twelve electrified bay platforms.
Conclusion
I can see a very comprehensive scheme being developed for Sheffield, based on a hub for battery-electric trains at Sheffield station.
