10 Exciting New Train Journeys Coming To The UK In 2026
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.
The journeys are.
South Wales Metro (The ‘Welsh Tube’)
Effectively, what the Welsh have done is turn the railways radiating from Cardiff into the sort of metro that Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Tyne-Tees have created over the last few decades.
- They are replacing a large proportion of the rolling stock, with new electric or hybrid-electric trains and tram-trains.
- Some of the lines are notably scenic.
- Some new stations have been added.
- There are attractions to visit.
- A Day Ranger ticket is available.
A few times in the past few years, when I feel I need some fresh air, I’ve taken a train to Cardiff, bought a Day Ranger and climbed a few hills in a train, as in my seventies, I’m too old to walk up.
I wouldn’t be surprised that the forthcoming Leeds Metro borrows heavily from ideas developed on the South Wales Metro.
London To Stirling
Stirling is one of those towns and cities, like Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Shrewsbury and a few others, that Virgin and Avanti West Coast seem reluctant to serve.
I feel by choosing Stirling for a service, Lumo have just done the obvious.
- The route is fully-electrified.
- Stops will be Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert.
- There will be four trains per day.
- The initial trains will be Class 222 trains.
- The electric Class 803 trains are on order.
- Hitachi are developing battery-electric trains for Lumo on the East Coast to be able to use the diversion via Lincoln, which would probably reach Perth.
- Car-hire companies will do well in Stirling.
- Stirling has onward train connections to Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Montrose, Perth and Stonehaven.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see FirstGroup, who are Lumo’s parent or another coach company, creating a hydrogen-powered coach network for the North of Scotland.
- The service will start in May 2026.
That really shows how railways can be used to boost growth. But will the SNP get the message?
I will use this service to have a few days in Stirling and explore the Southern part of the Scottish Highlands by train.
Caledonian Sleeper from Birmingham
This looks to be obvious addition to the Caledonian Sleeper.
The Telegraph says this.
The joys of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, well known to travellers from London, are to be extended for the first time to those wanting to alight at Birmingham International. This change – the biggest in the Caledonian Sleeper schedule for 30 years – will mean that greeting the dawn approaching places as far flung as Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness will be a far more realistic prospect for fans of this form of travel who live in the Midlands.
Note.
- The Birmingham stop will be at International not New Street.
- The service starts on January 16.
- Only the Highlander will stop at Birmingham International.
It seems to be a well-thought out simple addition to the service.
Newquay And Falmouth
The Telegraph says this.
Exciting news for fans of Cornwall where a new direct service linking the north and south coasts this year will make travelling by train between the key towns of Newquay and Falmouth considerably easier. The improvement to the current journey, frequently involving multiple changes and lasting two and half hours, will start with an increase in services between Newquay and Par in the spring and, by the end of the year, the commencement of the direct link all the way through to Falmouth.
Note.
The project is named the Mid Cornwall Metro.
The project has cost £57 million.
The route will be Newquay and Falmouth Docks via Quintrell Down, St. Columb Road, Roche, Bugle, Luxulyan, Par, St. Austell, Truro, Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere and Falmouth Town.
For more information, see midcornwallmetro.com
The journey time between Newquay and Falmouth will be cut by forty-five minutes.
I am sure that there are other rail systems in the UK, Ireland and in the wider world, that could benefit from a
High Speed Sonnet (Weardale To Stratford-upon-Avon)
The Telegraph says this.
And now for something completely different: a one-off charter train from the dales of County Durham to Stratford-upon-Avon, the heart of Shakespeare country. This journey, dubbed the “High Speed Sonnet”, comes as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the introduction of the legendary InterCity 125 high speed trains, one of which will be deployed on the run from Stanhope to the birthplace of the bard.
This train journey, although it is probably very nice is not really my scene.
- I don’t have a partner.
- I don’t live near to Weardale or Stratford-on-Avon.
- As I’m coeliac and low alcohol, I’m not really keen on gourmet dining events.
But the train is an Intercity 125, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see excursionsbyrail.co.uk
West Highland Line, Scotland
The Telegraph says this.
A journey along the West Highland line, the most scenic stretch of track in Britain, and a visit to the Royal waiting room used by Queen Victoria during visits to Balmoral are two of the highlights of a new tour for 2026, offered by small group Scotland and UK specialists McKinlay Kidd.
Similar comments to the previous journey apply, except that it is West Scotland.
But the train is steam-hauled over the Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see mckinlaykidd.com
Mid Wales Explorer
The Telegraph says this.
Another new tour for 2026, this one run by The Railway Touring Company, has as its focus the central part of Wales. Highlights include a journey along the Welsh Highland line on the “Harbourmaster”, shorter trips on the celebrated little railways of Llangollen, Bala Lake, Talyllyn, Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool, and a narrowboat ride across world heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct located 38 metres above the River Dee. Tidy.
I might go on this one if the date of June 10th fits.
For more details see railwaytouring.net
Newcastle And Brighton
The Telegraph says this.
How about this for a tantalising prospect – a direct service between Newcastle and Brighton calling at York, Sheffield, Birmingham New Street, Oxford, Reading, and Gatwick Airport – with no need to change trains in London? This is the new route proposed by open-access operator Grand Central (part of Arriva UK Trains) and currently awaiting approval from the Office of Rail and Road.
All going well, services – five trains each way daily – should start by the end of the year. A potential game changer and, following the commencement of the direct link between Seaham and London in December 2025, a further example of Grand Central’s drive to connect underserved communities.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
London And Cleethorpes
The Telegraph says this.
Another Grand Central proposal that whets the appetite is the application to run direct services (for the first time since 1992) between London and the Lincolnshire seaside town of Cleethorpes. While not without its critics, Cleethorpes is an old-school British resort with pier, promenade and the Cleethorpes Coast Light (miniature) Railway service. If approved, four services a day would be up and running by the end of 2026; additional stops would include Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Thorne South, Crowle and Althorpe.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
Note.
Althorpe is not to be confused with the burial place of Princess Di.
In Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes, I wrote about excellent gluten-free fish and chips on the pier.
Champagne Moments On The Northern Belle
The Telegraph says this.
The late Queen Mother famously enjoyed G&Ts while seated in carriages which now form part of the the Northern Belle. This in mind, she would likely have approved of the latest innovation on one of Britain’s plushest trains: the addition of a “Krug class”, which includes one bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne per couple, to enjoy over a multi-course meal and seating in Duart (formerly a carriage on The Royal Train) or Glamis, named after the Queen Mother’s childhood home.
The train operates a number of day trips on scenic routes to landmark cities such as York, Edinburgh and Bath, and to colourful events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For more details see 95pp; northernbelle.co.uk
Treforest Estate Station – 28th November 2023
On Tuesday, I went to South Wales to look at the progress of the South Wales Metro.
I took these pictures at Treforest Estate station.
Note.
- The station has a narrow island platform.
- Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert trains go through here. but on Tuesday not all were stopping.
- It was rather cold and draughty.
- The electrification looks to be of high quality.
This OpenRalwayMap shows the tracks through the station.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Pontypridd, where the tracks are not electrified is at the top of the map.
- The strange squiggle in the South-East corner of the map is Taff’s Well Depot.
- The blue arrow indicates the position of Treforest Estate station.
This OpenRalwayMap shows the station at a larger scale.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
I wonder if the drivers will raise and lower the pantograph in Treforest Estate station. Or will this be automatic?
Abercynon Station – 28th November 2023
On Tuesday, I went to South Wales to look at the progress of the South Wales Metro.
I took these pictures at Abercynon station.
Note.
- The station has a wide island platform.
- The Aberdare and the Merthyr Tydfil branches merge here.
- It was rather draughty.
- The electrification looks to be of high quality.
This OpenRalwayMap shows the tracks through the station.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The single-track going North is the Aberdare branch.
- The single-track going North-East is the Merthyr Tydfil branch.
- There is a crossover to the North of the station, so that trains can go where they should.
- The single platform is the grey-shaded area between the two tracks.
- The tracks are electrified to the South.
It is a neat simple station, that also allows passengers to travel between stations on different Northern branches.
The Increase In Passenger Capacity
Consider.
- Currently, there are two Class 150/2 tph on both Northern branches.
- This means current capacity is 596 passengers per hour.
- After electrification, there will be four Class 398 tph on both Northern branches.
- This means future capacity is 2016 passengers per hour.
That is an increase of 238 % in the capacity.
Merthyr Tydfil Station – 28th November 2023
Yesterday, I went to South Wales to look at the progress of the South Wales Metro.
I took these pictures at the station and in the town.
Note.
- It is only a single-platform station.
- The platform and track appear to be reasonably flat.
- Several bay terminal platforms in the UK like four of those at Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington stations near me are able to handle four trains per hour (tph).
- The Class 150/2 trains in the are 19.74 metres long and have a maximum capacity of 149.
- The new electric Class 398 tram-trains are 40.07 metres long and have a capacity of 252.
The platform appears to be long enough for the new trains.
These are my thoughts.
Capacity To And From Merthyr Tydfil
Consider.
- Currently, there are two Class 150/2 tph.
- This means current capacity is 298 passengers per hour.
- After electrification, there will be four Class 398 tph.
- This means future capacity is 1008 passengers per hour.
That is an increase of 238 % in the capacity.
Where Is The Electrification?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the proposed electrification at Merthyr Tydfil station.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The railway is single-track until past Troed-y-Rhiw, after which it is double track to Merthyr Vale station.
- Between Merthyr Vale and Abercynon is single-track, with a short length of unelectrified double-track at Quaker’s Yard station.
It appears that the section of the Merthyr Line at Merthyr Tydfil station will not be electrified.
- The tram-trains’ batteries must be large enough to climb the unelectrified section .
- There must also be enough power to nudge the tram-train back down the hill, after the climb has been completed.
- At least the pictures show, that the track in Merthyr Tydfil station, is reasonably flat.
It looks to be a neat piece of cost-saving design.
Why Did I Feel Better In Merthyr Tydfil?
I have been feeling under the weather lately, but I felt a lot better in Merthyr!
Was it the altitude of 180 metres?
My cardiologist friend, says most people feel worse at altitude. But I seem to be the other way round.
My wife was certainly feeling rough, when I drove a car up to 13,000 feet in the Andes of Ecuador, whereas I was fine.
Incidentally, the car was coughing and wheezing like a good ‘un.
Climbing The Valley Lines In The South Wales Metro
There are five terminal stations on the Cardiff Valley Lines, of which four will be served by battery-electric trains or tram-trains from Cardiff.
In this post, I will show how they will achieve this feat.
Consider.
- To get to Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert, a tram-train must first get to Pontypridd.
- To get to Rhymney, a train must first get to Caerphilly.
I will now deal with the seven stations in alphabetic order.
Aberdare
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The branch to Aberdare is the middle of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Aberdare branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Aberdare and Pontypridd.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Aberdare and Pontypridd using the complete electrification.
Caerphilly
These two OpenRailwayMaps show the tracks through Caerphilly.
Note.
- The map on the left shows infrastructure, with the Rhymney Line shown in yellow.
- Caerphilly station is in the top third of the map.
- The white section of the Rhymney Line is the Caerphilly tunnel.
- The map on the right shows electrification, with the sections of the Rhymney Line that will be electrified are shown in red.
- Black sections will not be electrified.
- North of Caerphilly, the Rhymney Line is electrified, but through the station and the Caerphilly tunnel, there will be no electrification.
Trains will use battery power, where there is no electrification.
Ebbw Vale Town
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- Newport is marked by the blue arrow.
- The North-South Line at the left is the Rhymney Line.
- The North-South Line in the middle is the Ebbw Valley Railway.
- The North-South Line at the right is the Marches Line to Hereford and Shrewsbury.
Trains will use diesel power on the Ebbw Valley Railway, as there is no electrification and no means of charging battery-electric trains.
It does seem strange that no electrified solution has been proposed for the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Consider.
- An Abertillery branch has been proposed.
- A Newport and Ebbw Vale Town service has been proposed and will be implemented.
- Perhaps the line is difficult to electrify.
It could just be, the electrifying the Ebbw Valley Railway, was a step too far.
Merthyr Tydfil
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The branch to Merthyr Tydfil is the rightmost of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Merthyr Tydfil branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd, except for two short sections.
- I would assume that the short unelectrified sections can be handled using the tram-trains battery power.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd using the electrification and the tram-trains batteries.
This shows the track layout at Quaker’s Yard station.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- There are only two short length of electrification shown in the corners the map.
- Quaker’s Yard station has two platforms.
- The track layout appears to have single- and double-track sections.
It looks like it has been decided not to electrify this section. Perhaps, it was just too complicated to electrify easily?
This 3D Google Map shows the terminal station at Merthyr Tydfil.
It looks like the railway runs through the town to the station. So perhaps leaving out the electrification made everything safer?
Pontypridd
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- The line leaving the map in the South-East corner is the line to Cardiff.
- The line leaving the map in the North-West corner is the Rhondda Line to Treherbert.
- The line leaving the map in the North-East corner is the Merthyr Line to Aberdare and Merthyr.
Pontypridd stations lies at the junction of the three lines.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Pontypridd.
Note.
- There are two long through platforms.
- There is a bay platform on the North side of the station for extra Cardiff services.
- The station is not electrified.
These pictures show Pontypridd station.
The station is Grade II Listed.
How will the tram-trains be powered through Pontypridd station?
Older Welsh railwaymen have told tales of how the coal trains from the mines in the valleys to Cardiff Docks were powered in part using gravity to propel the trains to the Docks. Steam locomotives then hauled the trains up the hills to get another load of coal.
Will Newton’s Friend be used to help the tram-trains return to Cardiff?
As the tram-trains descend, regenerative braking can be used to recharge the batteries.
A sophisticated computer control system, would choose the source of power from that which is available.
Descending from the terminal stations of Aberdare, Merthyr and Treherbert, and through Pontypridd would probably need a small amount of battery power to nudge the train to descend down the hill.
Fully-electrified stations like Aberdare and Treherbert will have the luxury of being able to use power from the electrification to start the descent.
Climbing the hills will be mainly on battery power, with the batteries being charged, where overhead electrification exists.
Rhymney
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern part of the Rhymney Line from Caerphilly to Rhymney.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- Caerphilly is marked by the blue arrow at the bottom of the map.
- Rhymney is at the Northern end of the rail line.
- Bargoed, Hengoed, Llanbradach and Caerphilly stations appear not to be electrified.
- It is planned that the service on the Rhymney Line will be provided using Class 756 trains, that will be fitted with batteries and diesel engines.
The Class 756 trains appear to have been designed to climb to Rhymney in all conditions, including a complete power cut. They will use batteries on the unelectrified sections of the climb.
Treherbert
This OpenRailwayMap shows the three branches of the Cardiff Valley Lines, that go through Pontypridd.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red and unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- Lines where electrification will be installed are shown in red and black.
- The branch to Treherbert is the leftmost of the three branches.
- It is planned that the service on the Theherbert branch will be provided using Class 398 tram-trains, that will be fitted with batteries.
- Electrification will be complete between Treherbert and Pontypridd.
It would appear that a tram-train could run between Treherbert and Pontypridd when the electrification is complete.
Conclusion
Each of the five lines use their own methods of getting trains up the hills.
I suspect we’ll see some of the ideas used here on other stretches of electrification.
Taff’s Well Station – 22nd November 2023
I took these pictures as I passed through.
Note.
- A depot for the tram-trains is being built.
- The depot looks rather small.
- Four Class 398 tram-trains are lined up in the sidings of the depot.
- The last picture was taken four years ago , before any work started.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the depot.
Note.
- Electrified tracks are shown in red.
- Unelectrified tracks are shown in black.
- There are nine electrified sidings, which from my picture appear to be able to hold two tram-trains each.
- From other pictures on the web four of the unelectrified lines are covered tracks in the depot.
- The final two tracks seem to allow tram-trains to enter and leave the depot and these tracks are partially covered, there could be a washer alongside the building.
- The unelectrified Merthyr Line runs across the South-West corner of the map.
- Tram-trains will always enter the depot from the North.
- Tram-trains will always leave the depot to the North.
It is a slightly unusual layout for a depot, but it seems to fit well into a small site.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Merthyr Line as it passes Taff’s Well Station and Depot.
Note.
- The Merthyr Line runs roughly North-West and South-East across the map.
- The Northern and Southern sections of the Merthyr Line are electrified, but the central section is not.
- Taff’s Well Depot is the red and black wart on the unelectrified section of the Merthyr Line.
- Tram-trains going North go to Pontypridd and then on to the three branch terminals at Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.
- Tram-trains going South go to Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations.
Tram-trains use a mixture of overhead electrisation, battery power and assistance from Newton’s friend for power.
How A Tram-Train Arrives At Taff’s Well Depot
Consider.
- Tram-trains must approach Taff’s Well Depot from the North to enter the depot.
- This shouldn’t be a problem, as there appear to be crossovers at Pontypridd to transfer a tram-train to the right line if needed.
- As they descend from Pontypridd, any braking can be used to charge the batteries on the tram-trains.
- The track layout in the depot appears to allow any entering train to go into any track in the depot.
So depending on the work needed before the next trip, the tram-train can be efficiently placed in the right section.
How A Tram-Train Leaves Taff’s Well Depot
Consider.
- Tram-trains must leave Taff’s Well Depot to the North.
- As the Merthyr Line is not electrified, where the tram-trains leave the depot, they need to leave with enough power in the battery to reach the electrified section of the Merthyr Line.
- Tram-trains can only be charged in the nine electrified sidings.
So do the tram-trains, wait in the electrified sidings until, they have enough power in the batteries to do a circuit of the depot, join the Merthyr Line and go up the hill to the electrification?
If as I suspect, there is a tram-wash behind the depot, they can even take a pass through, so they enter service after a wash.
Conclusion
This could be a very efficient depot.
Crafty Electrification On The Rhymney Line
I was puzzled on Wednesday, when I took the Class 231 train to Caerphilly on the Rhymney Line, when I saw no signs of electrification.
These are pictures I took at Caerphilly station.
These two OpenRailwayMaps show the tracks through Caerphilly.
Note.
- The map on the left shows infrastructure, with the Rhymney Line shown in yellow.
- Caerphilly station is in the top third of the map.
- The white section of the Rhymney Line is the Caerphilly tunnel.
- The map on the right shows electrification, with the sections of the Rhymney Line that will be electrified are shown in red.
- Black sections will not be electrified.
- North of Caerphilly, the Rhymney Line is electrified, but through the station and the Caerphilly tunnel, there will be no electrification.
Trains will use battery power, where there is no electrification.
This article on Modern Railways gives more information.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification around Cardiff Central and Queen Street stations.
Note.
- Electrified lines are shown in red.
- Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
- The four-platform Cardiff Queen Street station is marked by the blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- There appears to be no plans for electrification in Cardiff Queen Street station.
- The electrified line across the map is the South Wales Main Line.
- The nine-platform Cardiff Central station sits on the South Wales Main Line.
- The main line platforms at Cardiff Central station are electrified, but it appears that Platforms 6.7 and 8. that will serve the South Wales Metro, will not be electrified.
- The line going to the South-East is the branch to Cardiff Bay station.
- The Southern part of this branch appears to be planned to be electrified. so that it can charge the tram-trains before they return North.
This article on Modern Railways says this about catenary-free sections (CFS) in the electrification of the South Wales Metro.
Catenary-free sections are concentrated on areas where it is disproportionately expensive to erect overhead wires. These include the area around Cardiff Queen Street station and the adjacent junction, which has complicated switches and crossings. North of Queen Street, the Cathays area adjacent to Cardiff University and the hospital would present a significant electromagnetic compatibility challenge, so a CFS avoids this complication. Other catenary-free areas will include Pontypridd, where the station features listed canopies and the track is curved, and around the new depot at Taff’s Well, where there will be a significant number of new switches and crossings as well as challenges around highway bridges.
I am in touch with two major electrification companies and I am sure we’ll be seeing a lot more crafty electrification and the use of battery-electric trains.
My First Ride On Class 231 Trains – 22nd November 2023
I had several rides on Class 231 trains on a visit to Cardiff.
Note.
- The trans were running on the Rhymney Line.
- Like Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains, they have pop-out steps and a PowerPack in the middle.
- The trains didn’t appear to be using their pantographs to run on electric, where it existed.
They were very similar to the Class 755 train.
Northern Trains Plans Framework Contract For 450 Multiple-Units
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Northern Trains has invited expressions of interest in a framework contract covering the supply of up to 450 multiple-units to replace ‘significant quantities of its ageing fleet’.
These are other details.
- Firm orders would be placed in phases.
- The initial order would be for ‘multi-mode’ multiple-units.
- Battery-electric or electric-only trains would be included in subsequent orders.
- Trains would have a minimum design life of 35 years from acceptance.
- The ability for the multi-mode units to be converted to electric or battery-electric power as part of an ‘in-life decarbonisation’ programme.
These four paragraphs outline the framework agreement between Northern Trains, the train manufacturer and the owners, who will finance the trains.
The framework agreement would run for eight years, with Northern able to order rolling stock in multiple phases.
Each phase would include a train manufacturing and supply agreement and a technical support and spares supply agreement.
The supplier would provide tools and spare parts, and there would be options for the supply of mock-ups and a cab simulator. Northern is to run a separate procurement for an owning party which would purchase each fleet and lease it to the operator.
The owner would be party to each manufacturing and supply agreement, and there may be different owning parties for each order phase.
This is a well-thought out proposal, that would be worth around a billion pounds to the train manufacturer.
It would probably be based around a family of trains like Alstom’s Aventra, CAF’s Civity or Stadler’s FLIRT.
For a series of orders of such a value, I think we will see some excellent proposals.
The deal will transform rail travel in the North.
I have some thoughts.
Which Trains Will Be Replaced?
Northern Trains fleet includes these ageing trains.
- Class 150/0 diesel trains – 6 x three-car – 18 cars
- Class 150/1 diesel trains – 46 x two-car – 92 cars
- Class 150/2 diesel trains – 26 x two-car – 52 cars
- Class 155 diesel trains – 7 x two-car – 14 cars
- Class 156 diesel trains – 65 x two-car – 130 cars
- Class 158/0 diesel trains – 45 x two-car – 90 cars
- Class 158/9 diesel trains – 8 x three-car – 24 cars
- Class 319 electric trains – 12 x four-car – 48 cars
- Class 323 electric trains – 34 x three-car – 102 cars
- Class 333 electric trains – 16 x four-car – 64 cars
- Class 769 bi-mode trains – 8 x four-car – 32 cars
Note.
- These total to 273 trains and 661 cars.
- If the 16 Class 170 trains, which are of three-cars, were also to be replaced. that would bring the total trains to be replaced to 289 trains and 709 cars.
I would expect the difference between 273-289 current trains and 450 trains in the article, is explained by new services and increased services on certain routes.
Which Trains Could Be Retained?
Northern Trains fleet includes these new trains.
- Class 195 diesel trains – 25 x two-cars – 50 cars
- Class 195 diesel trains – 33 x three-cars – 99 cars
- Class 331 electric trains – 31 x three-cars – 93 cars
- Class 331 electric trains – 12 x four-cars – 48 cars
Note.
- These trains were all built by CAF in the last five years.
- These total to 101 trains and 290 cars.
But if they have an expected life of 35 years, the diesels will have to be converted to zero-carbon trains.
Will The CAF Trains Be Retained?
Consider.
- If all the ageing trains and those not built by CAF were to be replaced then that would be 289 trains and 709 cars.
- If the nearly-new CAF trains were also to be replaced that would be 390 trains and 999 cars.
- Add in a few more trains for expanded services and you’re got the figure of 450 trains given in this article.
- If the CAF trains were to be replaced, then Northern Trains would have an homogenous fleet of new trains from one manufacturer, with all the advantages in operation and maintenance.
On the other hand, I haven’t read any bad criticism of these CAF trains, so I will assume that there is no pressing reason to replace them.
And of course Northern Trains could have an homogenous fleet of new CAF trains.
This is said in the article.
The supplier would provide tools and spare parts, and there would be options for the supply of mock-ups and a cab simulator.
As this is specifically mentioned, do Northern lack a simulator for driver training?
What About The Manchester Bee Network And Other Local Networks?
Will these networks want to take control of their local trains?
If there is an homogenous fleet of new trains from one manufacturer, then surely, it would be easier to give control of some routes to the local transport interests.
Training and driver rostering could be retained in what was left of Northern Trains.
Tram-Trains
Tram trains would be an added complication, but as the South Wales Metro is showing, tram-trains are an interesting way of expanding a network.
BHP To Trial Battery Locos On Pilbara Iron Ore Network
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
The article summarised all the battery-electric locomotives ordered to bring the iron ore to the coast by mining companies; BHP, Fortescue, Rio Tinto and Roy Hill.
The article indicates some of the innovative operations that will be tried. This is a sentence from the article.
A key element will be to assess the potential for capturing regenerated braking energy on the loaded downhill runs, and storing it to power empty trains back uphill to the mines.
I would hope that the South Wales Metro, the Buxton branch and the East Kilbride branch will use similar energy conservation techniques.
The Anonymous Widower 