The Anonymous Widower

‘Rollercoasters In My Back Yard’: Welcome To Universal Studios Bedford

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.

This is the sub-heading.

Britain’s answer to Orlando could be a 480-acre world boasting big rides, bigger films and 7m visitors a year. Some locals are far from enchanted

These three paragraphs introduce the story.

Picture the scene: It’s a snowy Christmas Eve, 2030, at King’s Cross station. Dozens of families from across the UK and Europe gather as the station speakers announce: “The train now leaving platform 9¾ is the Hogwarts Express, calling at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And Bedford.”

The stuff of JK Rowling’s fiction? Perhaps not.

For, if all goes to plan, a featureless 480 acres of industrial and agricultural land a short broomstick’s ride from downtown Bedford will, by the end of the decade, become one of the world’s most spectacular theme parks.

I have a few thoughts.

Eden Project Morecambe

Eden Project Morecambe will be the first of a new generation of theme parks in the UK.

The new Eden Project is to be developed at Morecambe, which is close to Lancaster. As Lancaster will be an High Speed Two  terminus, Eden Project North could be connected to HS2 by a high tech shuttle like the Luton DART. So the Eden Project North will also attract day trippers from a large proportion of England and the South of Scotland.

I believe increasingly we will see theme parks, bringing in their visitors on futuristic public transport systems.

The Location Of Universal Studios Bedford

This map from Universal Destinations & Experiences shows the location of the site of the proposed Universal Studios Bedford.

Note.

  1. The site is shown by yellow shading.
  2. The blue lines are major roads.
  3. The pink lines are railways.
  4. The rail link running to the West of the site is currently the Marston Vale Line, which is being developed into the East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes.
  5. The East West Railway will also connect to Ipswich, Norwich and Reading.
  6. The rail link running to the East of the site is the Midland Main Line, which links St. Pancras station with Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

The site certainly has excellent transport connections.

Expanding Rail Connections At Universal Studios Bedford

I believe that in these days of climate change, that theme parks and other attractions like sports stadia and shopping centres will develop their rail connections.

Universal Studios Bedford could have two stations.

  •  Kempston Hardwick on the East West Railway.
  • Their own station on the Midland Main Line.

Note.

  1. Both stations could be connected by a futuristic people mover transporting visitors around the site.
  2. Using current train times, trains would take thirty minutes between the theme park and St. Pancras for Eurostar to and from Europe.
  3. Thameslink’s trains could shuttle visitors to and from Luton Airport.

It should also be noted that several of Southern England’s most visited sites are just a train ride away.

Easy Places To Visit

These attractions would be easy to visit.

  • Bicester Village – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.
  • Cambridge – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2030.
  • London – Direct train from the new station after it’s built.
  • Oxford – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.
  • Woburn Safari Park – Direct train from Kempston Hardwick after 2024.

Note.

All trains would be electric or battery-electric powered.

I have assumed that rail services between Oxford and Bedford open in 2024.

I have assumed that rail services between Oxford and Cambridge open in 2030.

Conclusion

This is an interesting idea, which is at an excellent location. But will the locals like it?

 

 

December 24, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

British Land Unveils Plans To Transform London’s Euston Tower Into A Life Sciences And Innovation Hub

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from British Land.

The Wikipedia entry for the Euston Tower gives this paragraph of history.

The site was developed by Joe Levy who bought properties along the north side of Euston Road to enable him to build a complex of two tower blocks with office shops and apartments. The building, which was designed by Sidney Kaye Eric Firmin & Partners in the International style and built by George Wimpey, was completed in 1970. It is 36-storeys and 124 metres (407 ft) high. Early tenants included Inmarsat and Capital Radio.

When you get to over fifty years old, various parts of your body get tired and I suspect it is the same with buildings.

These are the two bullet points of the press release.

  • Euston Tower represents a major retrofit and redevelopment opportunity at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter
  • Proposals aim to transform the building into a world-class net zero home for world-leading life science and innovation occupiers

These two paragraphs then add a bit more vision.

Leading property company British Land has unveiled plans to redevelop Euston Tower through an innovative combination of retention, re-use and an ultra-low carbon new structure. The plans would transform the building into a pioneering, modern, net zero workspace for cutting-edge businesses of all sizes, including new world-class, lab-enabled spaces at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter.

Currently under discussion with Camden Council and other local stakeholders, the vision for Euston Tower will lead the way in low carbon retrofit and construction techniques, using inclusive design which creates high quality workspaces and continues to support the local community and economy. The current proposals will bring forward lab-enabled spaces for start-up and scale-up innovation businesses, as well as spaces for the local community to support education and training opportunities.

These are points from the press release.

  1. Leading the design are award-winning Danish architecture practice 3XN.
  2. They are supported by London-based architecture and landscape studio DSDHA who re-designed much of Broadgate’s public realm, including Exchange Square.
  3. In line with British Land’s longstanding commitment to net zero development, the design’s sustainability strategy is based on retaining, re-using and re-cycling existing material, specifying low carbon and recycled materials where new is required and only using certified carbon offsets as an action of last resort.
  4. This multi-layered approach to net zero development aims to create a blueprint for the sustainable redevelopment of challenging, inflexible old buildings that can be used in the future.

British Land has owned and operated Regent’s Place for nearly 40 years, which means they must have a lot of knowledge about how best to develop the building and its surroundings.

They certainly seem to be applying a modern net-zero approach to a building that was iconic and modern in the 1970s.

This afternoon I walked down the Euston Road between Euston and Great Portland Street stations and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. Euston Station is a shadow of its former self.
  2. Euston Tower is the boxy tower on the North side of Euston Road.
  3. University College London Hospital (UCLH) is the tower on the South side of Euston Road.
  4. I believe the glass-fronted building opposite the hospital and Euston Tower contains a lot of BT infrastructure.

I have some thoughts.

Traffic Along The Euston Road

I took the pictures around 1400 in a Friday and they show how busy the Euston Road is most of the time.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the Euston Road, there was a plan to remove the underpass.

In the early-21st century, the Greater London Authority commissioned a plan to improve the road from the architectural firm, Terry Farrell and Partners. The original study proposed removing the underpass (which was subsequently cancelled) and providing a pedestrian crossing and removing the gyratory system connecting the Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street. The scheme was approved by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone as “the start of changing the Marylebone to Euston road from a highway into a series of linked public spaces.” The pedestrian crossing opened in March 2010. Livingstone’s successor, Boris Johnson, favours keeping the Euston Road underpass and declared it to be a good place to test his nerves when cycling around London.

Nothing is said about, where the traffic would have gone, if the underpass had been closed.

I walked along the South side of the Euston Road past the hospital and the air couldn’t be considered clean. As I write this, this website rates it Hazardous.

If we ignore the pollution for pedestrians and cyclists, is it really a road, that is fit for the purpose of moving traffic between King’s Cross and Baker Street, and vice-versa? I don’t think so!

The UK Needs More Lab Space

Cambridge innovators and developers were always saying they needed more lab space.

I also suspect, they are moaning in Oxford too!

So building high-quality space in London could reduce the pressure.

In Canary Wharf Boosts Its Science Ambitions, I talked about the ambitions of Canary Wharf to be a life sciences hub.

The Euston Tower Is Well-Connected

Consider.

  • The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston, King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations, with all their long distance connections.
  • The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston Square, Great Portland Street, King’s Cross St. Pancras and Warren Square stations, with all their Underground connections.
  • There are buses everywhere.

But that’s not to say, that these links cannot be improved.

Euston High Speed Two Station Could Be Euston Tower’s Sister?

This Google Map shows the location of Euston Town and the proposed Euston High Speed Two station.

Note.

  1. Euston Tower is marked by a red arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The existing Euston station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  3. The High Speed Two station will be built along the Western side of the existing station.

With good landscaping, an excellent walking route, and perhaps a people mover Euston Tower could have superb connections to the rest of the UK.

Cycling And Walking Could Be A Possibility!

This Google Map shows the wider area around Euston Tower.

Note.

  1. Euston Tower is marked by the red arrow towards the bottom of the map.
  2. To its West lies the cycling- and walking-friendly spaces of Regents Park and Primrose Hill.

In the 1970s, I regularly walked or cycled across the park from where we lived near Primrose Hill to a client in Great Portland Street.

I also suspect other cycling and walking routes could be developed to Euston Tower from Euston, King’s Cross, St. Pancras and other stations.

Crossrail 2

Crossrail 2 would certainly help travelling to the Euston Tower, by linking Euston, King’s Cross and St.Pancras to North-East and South-West suburbs of London, with trains at frequencies of up to 30 thirty trains per hour (tph) in the central tunnel.

But.

  • The new line will cost at least £31.2 billion. Who can afford it?
  • The Elizabeth Line took sixteen years from approval to full opening.
  • Crossrail 2 would still be a walk from Euston Tower.

So Crossrail 2 is unlikely to be any help to the redevelopment of Euston Tower.

Improving The Sub-Surface Lines

The Euston Tower is close to two stations on the sub-surface lines; Euston Square and Great Portland Street.

Services through these stations are currently as follows.

  • Circle Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Hammersmith & City Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Amersham- 2 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Chesham – 2 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Uxbridge – 6 tph Peak – 8 tph – Off-Peak
  • Aldgate and Watford – 4 tph – Peak

Note.

  1. In the Peak there are 26 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
  2. In the Off Peak there are 24 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
  3. In this article on Modern Railways,it is said that after digital signalling is installed on the sub-surface lines, the capacity on the lines, will be 32 tph in the Peak and 27 tph in the Off-Peak.

These figures give a 33 % capacity increase in the Peak and a 28 % increase in the Off Peak.

Both Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations are cramped and not fully step-free stations and could struggle with a 28 % and upwards increase in passenger numbers.

In The New Step-Free Entrance At Euston Square Station, I detailed TfL’s plans to put a new full step-free entrance South of Euston Road at Euston Square station.

This would not directly help travellers going between Euston Tower and Euston station, but hopefully, it would help to make Euston station less crowded and more passenger-friendly.

It would certainly ease walking between University College and the hospital, and the station.

This map from cartometro shows the Underground lines at Great Portland Street station.

Note.

  1. The yellow and mauve tracks are the sub-surface lines.
  2. The black tracks are the Northern Line.
  3. The blue tracks are the Victoria Line.

This Google Map shows the Euston Tower, Great Portland Street and Warren Street stations.

Note.

  1. The Euston Tower is indicated by a red arrow in the top-right corner of the map.
  2. Great Portland Street station is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
  3. Warren Street station is at the left of the map.

I wonder if the platforms were to be extended Eastwards at Great Portland Street station, that a new entrance to the station could be created perhaps fifty metres from Euston Tower.

I am convinced that the extra passenger traffic created by the life sciences and innovation hub can be handled by an augmented transport infrastructure, which would rely mainly on planned improvements to the sub-surface lines, which are approaching their final stages.

Conclusion

Converting Euston Tower into a life sciences and innovation hub is a plan that I believe can work well!

I would recommend the following improvements to public transport.

  • The planned extra step-free entrance to Euston Square station on Gordon Street is constructed.
  • An  extra fully step-free entrance is built at the Eastern ends of the platforms at Great Portland Street station, which would be about halfway between Euston Tower and the station.

As improvements to the signalling of the sub-surface lines will deliver an upwards of 27 % capacity on the sub-surface lines, the life sciences and innovation hub might as well take advantage.

 

December 1, 2023 Posted by | News, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could Extra Passenger-Handling Capacity Be Added At St. Pancras International Station?

This article in Railway Gazette International, which is entitled Start-Up Announces Amsterdam To London And Paris High Speed Train Ambitions, has this opening paragraph.

A proposal to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris has been announced by Dutch start-up Heuro, while Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is also reported to be looking at competing with Eurostar on cross-Channel routes.

This other paragraph also gives more details of Branson’s plans.

Heuro’s announcement comes after Spanish start-up Evolyn announced plans in October for a Paris – London service, while on November 11 British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Richard Branson and Phil Whittingham, former head of Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast, were also drawing up plans to compete with Eurostar and had held discussions with infrastructure managers.

As in the past, German and Italian rail companies have expressed interest in running services to London, I don’t think it will be long before capacity at St. Pancras International will need to be increased.

There are six International platforms at St. Pancras International station and as it generally accepted that one well-managed platform can handle four trains per hour (tph), this means that the station has a theoretical limit of twenty-four tph.

Currently, services into St. Pancras International include.

  • Up to 19 trains per day between London and Paris.
  • Up to 10 trains per day between London and Brussels.
  • One train per day between London and Amsterdam.

If we assume that trains can leave between 05:00 and 20:00, that is only about two trains per hour (tph).

There would appear to be plenty of space for the proposed 16 trains per day, that Heuro have said they will run.

My worry is will Customs and Immigration be able to handle all the extra passengers?

This Google Map shows King’s Cross and St. Pancras International stations.

Note.

  1. St. Pancras International is the station on the left of the V.
  2. King’s Cross is the station on the right of the V.
  3. The new corrugated roof covers the Northern ends of the trains in the platforms at St. Pancras.

These pictures show the Northern end of the International and domestic HighSpeed platforms.

Note.

The pictures taken on the platforms were taken from the Southeastern HighSpeed platforms.

 

The Continental trains appear to be wholly in the dry either under the classic or the new roof.

The noses of the Continental trains appear to peek out from under the new roof by a few inches.

The air space above the platforms to the North of the new roof appears to be unobstructed.

This Google Map shows the Northern ends of the platforms at St. Pancras.

Note.

  1. The new roof is in the bottom-right of the picture.
  2. The platforms are numbered 1-13 from left to right.
  3. Platforms 1-4 are for East Midlands services, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 formation.
  4. Platforms 5-10 are for Continental services, which are arranged in a 1-2-2-1 formation.
  5. Platforms 11-13 are for Southeastern HighSpeed services, which are arranges in a 1-1-1 formation.
  6. Any trains in the station seem to be mainly under cover, although  I think a couple of noses are just about visible.
  7. I am fairly certain, if more passenger-handling capacity were to be needed in the distant future, it could be built above the platforms.

I’ve never seen it said, but did the architects and structural engineers leave this space for future expansion of the station?

  • The foundations could have even been designed to support a future vertical extension.
  • But at least there is nothing of importance in the space above the exposed Northern ends of the station except a few pigeons.
  • With two passenger-handling areas, one could be for departures and the other for arrivals.
  • Escalators and lifts could give access to the three wide island platforms for Continental traffic.

Was this station designed to be expanded if required?

I also believe that that much of the work to add any new floors above the platforms could be carried out whilst train services were still running.

Alistair Lansley

According to his Wikipedia entry, the architect of the station was Alistair Lansley, who is not a well-known name or a celebrity architect, but an architect from British Rail’s Architect’s Department, who was also lead architect for Stratford and Ebbsfleet International stations.

So did he leave a space for the extension, that he knew from former experience would be needed?

 

 

November 21, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 11 Comments

Could A Mega-Station Be Built For The Channel Tunnel?

This article on Railway Gazette International, is entitled Start-Up Announces Amsterdam To London And Paris High Speed Train Ambitions.

It talks about how Dutch start-up; Heuro wants to run fifteen trains per day (tpg) between London and Amsterdam.

The article then has this paragraph, which details other operators, who are wanting to run services between London and the near Continent.

Heuro’s announcement comes after Spanish start-up Evolyn announced plans in October for a Paris – London service, while on November 11 British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Richard Branson and Phil Whittingham, former head of Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast, were also drawing up plans to compete with Eurostar and had held discussions with infrastructure managers.

This leads me to the conclusion, that there will be a need for more capacity for trains and/or passengers at some time in the future.

  • There are six International platforms at St. Panvcras International station, which can each probably handle four trains per hour (tph), so I suspect the station could handle 24 International tph.
  • As a modern high speed train can carry over 500 passengers, that is 12000 passengers per hour.
  • Visit St. Pancras station in the morning and it is often crammed with travellers coming from and going to Europe.

I suspect that the number of trains may not be a problem, but the number of passengers will.

We could always join Shengen, but then that would be an open door to all the would-be migrants to the UK.

This Google Map shows Stratford International station.

Stratford International station is in a soulless concrete cavern, that lies across the middle of the map.

In Platforms 1 And 4 At Stratford International Station,  there are a lot of pictures of the station.

I think it would be extremely difficult to add extra platforms and passenger facilities to the station.

This Google Map shows Ebbsfleet International station.

Note.

  1. Ebbsfleet International station, with its two International and four domestic platforms is in the middle of the map.
  2. The station is surrounded by car parks with a total of 5,000 spaces.
  3. Northfleet station is in the North-East corner of the map.

There is a lot of land, without any buildings on it.

These are my thoughts.

Enough Extra Bay Platforms To Handle The Additional Trains

There would appear to be space for perhaps two bay platforms to terminate trains.

But would passengers we happy being dumped outside Central London?

Would An Elizabeth Line Extension To Ebbsfleet Be Needed?

There are various plans to link the Elizabeth Line tp Ebbsfleet International.

In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I showed this map from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation.

There doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million.

The Elizabeth Line connects to the following.

  • Bond Street
  • Canary Wharf
  • City of London
  • Farringdon for Thameslink
  • Heathrow Airport
  • Old Oak Common for High Speed Two
  • Liverpool Street station
  • Oxford Street
  • Paddington station
  • Slough for Windsor
  • Tottenham Court Road for the British Museum, Oxford Street, Soho, Theatreland and the Underground.
  • West End of London
  • Whitechapel for the Overground and Underground

For many people like me, the Elizabeth Line at Ebbsfleet will provide one of the quickest ways to get to and from European trains.

Ebbsfleet Has Space For A Bus Station

A bus station with comprehensive routes could be built at Ebbsfleet station, which I don’t think will be possible at St. Pancras.

It would also be possible to provide an easy route to Gatwick Airport along the M25.

Hotel Accommodation

This is surely necessary.

It would make an ideal base for tourists and business people, who wanted to visit several of the large cities connected to Ebbsfleet.

A Very Large Car Park

Consider.

  • Heathrow Airport is looking at providing upwards of 50,000 car parking spaces.
  • Some travellers are seriously allergic to public transport and will always use their car.
  • Many travellers these days want to take a severely outside case with them, when they’re only having a weekend in Paris.

I feel that a mega-station for Europe will need upwards of 10,000 car parking spaces. All of them with vehicle-to-grid chargers.

A Very Large Storage Battery

According to this page on the E-on web site, the average size of the battery in an electric vehicle is 40 kWh.

If 5,000 car parking spaces were to be fitted with vehicle-to-grid charging (V2G), that would be 2 MWh of energy storage, that could be used by National Grid, to store surplus electricity.

Get V2G right and it could make a serious contribution to your parking costs.

Pictures Of Ebbsfleet Station

These are some pictures I took at Ebbsfleet station today.

Note.

  1. The station is a fairly boring concrete, glass and steel construction.
  2. The SouthEastern HighSpeed services also go to St. Pancras, so they don’t offer any different connectivity towards the capital.

In addition, the SouthEastern HighSpeed Class 395 trains aren’t step-free at the platforms, as these pictures shows.

As I came back into St. Pancras International station, staff were struggling to load a wheelchair onto a train using a ramp.

Would A Two-Station Solution Increase Capacity?

High Speed Rail lines have  high capacity trains and there are examples of more than one station at the end of a route.

  • The London end of High Speed Two will have stations at Old Oak Common and Euston.
  • The Manchester end of High Speed Two will have stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
  • The Edinburgh end of the East Coast Main Line has stations at Waverley and Haymarket.
  • The Amsterdam end of Eurostar and Thalys has stations at Rotterdam, Schipol Airport and Amsterdam.

A selection of stations gives choice and convenience for travellers.

Conclusion

I believe that selective development of Ebbsfleet International station could be used to take the pressure away from St. Pancras International station.

These developments could include.

  1. A comprehensive bus station
  2. Elizabeth Line to Northfleet
  3. Hotel Accommodation
  4. Lots Of Car Parking

 

 

 

November 21, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Europe’s Next High-Speed Train Operator

I was alerted to Heuro Train, by this article in Railway Gazette International, which has this opening paragraph.

A proposal to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris has been announced by Dutch start-up Heuro, while Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is also reported to be looking at competing with Eurostar on cross-Channel routes.

The Heuro Train web site was easily found and the title of this post, was part of their mission statement on the home page.

I have read the web site and have a few initial thoughts.

Technology-Driven Excellence

This is their first sub heading and this is the text.

In a world where technology defines possibilities, Heuro develops the latest innovations into every aspect of our service. From advanced train systems to intuitive in-seat features that cater to your needs, our technology is the driving force behind a seamless, state-of-the-art travel experience.

We’ve all written things like that in the past.

Meeting The Human Need

This is their second sub heading and this is the text.

Heuro emerged from human desires, informed by analyses from Marveltest.

There’s been a 32% annual increase in online interest for train travel over five years. High-Speed Trains are 98% full at peak times. Over half of Europeans prefer train travel under 2 hours as a greener option. Introducing High-Speed Operators in train monopolies boosts demand by 45%.

They appear to have done their research and those are interesting figures.

Lightning Speed Connectivity

This is their third sub heading and this is the text.

In our digital age, both work and leisure have found a substantial home on the internet for urban humans. Whether sealing a business deal, streaming a favorite show, or connecting with loved ones, online interactions have become integral to our daily lives. At Heuro, we don’t just commit—we guarantee the best internet experience.

This is actually irrelevant these days, as there will be a high standard of Internet experience on all modes of transport in a few years, although some will get it earlier than others.

Planned Routes

This is their sixth sub heading and this is the text.

We will connect Amsterdam with Brussels, Paris, and London with intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central, Antwerp Central & complimentary services to Groningen, Assen, Zwolle and Almere (continuing to Paris, 2 times per day)

This route map is shown.

Note.

  1. It is not a large network.
  2. It makes a lot of use of the Dutch high speed line; HSL-Zuid, that runs between Amsterdam and the Belgian border.
  3. I suspect it has been designed to be extended.

The Railway Gazette Article has these two paragraphs, which give more information on services and Heuro’s thinking.

On November 15 Heuro told Railway Gazette International that it aims to launch in 2028, offering 16 Amsterdam – Paris and 15 Amsterdam – London trains each day with intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, Antwerpen Centraal and Brussels. Two of the Paris trains would run to and from Groningen via Assen, Zwolle and Almere. 

The company said ‘every day, 55 planes fly from Amsterdam to London, while only four trains make this journey. Heuro intends to change that, aiming for more trains to depart from Amsterdam than flights’.

With other train companies wanting to serve London, will St. Pancras International be able to incorporate another fifteen trains per day from Amsterdam?

Web Site Language

Everything is in English! It also appears to be English English.

Les français ne seront pas amusés.

Extensions From London

Much of Central and Eastern England, and Eastern Scotland can be reached from St. Pancras International station, by a hundred metre walk to change platforms.

There is even a signed walking route between St. Pancras International and Euston stations, that isn’t the most arduous of walks.

The St. Pancras International and Euston stations connection could also be handled by a frequent electric shuttle bus.

Extensions From Amsterdam

Heuro are already indicating their intention to extend to Almere, Zwolle, Assen and Groningen.

I have taken that route and extended it via Leer, Oldenburg and Bremen to Hamburg.

Could this be in Heuro’s long term thinking?

Extensions From Paris

The French probably have ideas.

Conclusion

I like Heuro’s philosophy and starter kit.

 

November 20, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Evolyn To Launch Paris To London Route In Competition With Eurostar

The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Rail Technology Magazine.

These first two paragraphs outline the plan.

A company aiming to operate services through the Channel Tunnel in competition with Eurostar has agreed to purchase 12 trains, it said.

Evolyn has stated that it is ready to invest £1 billion in its bid to start cross-Channel rail services in 2025.

It looks like the order will go to Alstom.

It will be interesting to see what sort of product is offered.

October 13, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 3 Comments

National Express Owner Plans To Launch Eurostar Rival

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Financial Times.

I have documented a few attempts to start a competitor to Eurostar.

Note.

  1. None of the proposals seem to have got past being announced.
  2. The only useful fact given in the article, is that the service will be called Evolyn.

Searches of the Internet reveal virtually no more facts, rehashes of the FT article and a lot of waffle.

These are my thoughts.

Would Eurostar Give Up And Slots At St. Pancras International?

I use slots deliberately, as British Airways don’t seem keen to ever give up slots at Heathrow or Gatwick.

And I suspect Eurostar would be the same!

St. Pancras International Doesn’t Have Enough Space

This article on Kent & Surrey Bylines, which is entitled Why Are There Such Queues At St Pancras For Eurostar?, is typical of many you can find on the Internet.

This is the sub-heading.

Eurostar no longer stops at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International, and the queues at St Pancras are becoming intolerable

This is the first paragraph.

Passengers are complaining. The queues at St Pancras are now intolerable. The lines stretch back into the main hall. It is like an airport with the slow shuffle towards the security kiosks. Then, once you are through that, you go to the departure lounge. However, there is not enough seating for the waiting passengers (see picture above taken this month). Because you have to check in 90 minutes before the train starts, one can be stuck standing in this waiting room for an hour. Unless, that is, one is white-haired and venerable, in which case one is usually offered a seat by someone younger and fitter.

It was written on the 9th of last month. But the problems have been bad for some years, as St. Pancras station is too small.

Could Ashford International Station Be Used As A Terminal?

The station has platforms  on High Speed One, but the Financial Times says the service will be run between London and Paris.

I doubt even Ryanair would stretch it to say that Ashford was in London.

Could Ebbsfleet International Station Be Used As A Terminal?

It might be possible to say that Ebbsfleet was in London, but then it is not well-connected to Central London.

Does That leave Just Stratford International?

In Platforms 1 And 4 At Stratford International Station, I came to this conclusion.

I have come to these conclusions about Platforms 1 And 4 at Stratford International station.

  • The platforms are designed to take the longest Eurostar trains.
  • The access to Platforms 1 And 4, doesn’t appear to be designed for continuous heavy use.
  • The diamond crossover at the Eastern end of the station would allow Stratford International station to be used as an emergency terminus.

The track layout at the London end of High Speed One appears to have been designed for all eventualities.

But I suspect that Stratford International station will need a lot of money spent to provide Customs and Immigration facilities.

Could Victoria Station Be Used As A Terminal?

National Express is primarily a coach company, so could they be planning a service to connect the long distance coach networks of London and Paris?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the link between High Speed One and the Chatham Main Line.

Note.

  1. Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet stations are at the top of the map.
  2. High Speed One is the red line going through Ebbsfleet International station.
  3. The orange line going across the South-West corner of the map is the Chatham Main Line between Victoria station and Chatham.
  4. The Chatham Main Line is connected to High Speed One, by the Waterloo Connection or the Fawkham Junction Link.

This route was the original route for Eurostar to Waterloo.

But it could just as easily go into Victoria.

Note that the two Kent On The Cusp Of Change posts were based on an article in the July 2017 Edition of Modern Railways.

I am convinced that Victoria could be used as a terminal for Continental trains.

Where Would The Service Terminate In France?

Everything I said about congestion also applies to Gare Du Nord, so would it be better to use Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station that serves Disneyland Paris and Charles de Gaulle Airport, which used to be used by Eurostar.

There are certainly possibilities to do something different.

What Trains Would Be Needed?

The FT article says that the consortium have talked to Alstom, who build the Class 373 trains.

The trains would probably need a specification like this.

  • Maximum speed of at least 200 mph, like Eurostar’s Class 374 trains.
  • Ability to run on tracks with a UK loading gauge.
  • Ability to use both 750 VDC third rail and 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  • Less than 240 metres long, which are the platform lengths at Victoria.

Would a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train be suitable?

  • The trains will have a maximum speed of 224 mph.
  • It has been designed for a UK loading gauge.
  • The two partners in these trains; Alstom and Hitachi, have both built high speed trains capable of running at slower speeds using third rail electrification.
  • The standard length of the trains are 200 metres.

I suspect they would do nicely.

Conclusion

I suspect that the National Express service could use High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains between Victoria and Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy stations.

  • The trains would be standard with the ability to use third rail electrification
  • They would use a single International platform at Victoria and Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy.
  • Victoria station is well-connected to the Underground.
  • Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station is connected to Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Paris.

I feel that there is a feasible service that can be designed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Platforms 1 And 4 At Stratford International Station

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks through Stratford International station.

The tracks starting from the North side of the station are as follows.

  • Platform 1 – Not used by normal services – Shown in black
  • Fast Line for Eastbound through trains – Shown in red
  • Platform 2 – Used by Eastbound stopping services – Shown in black
  • Platform 3 – Used by Westbound stopping services – Shown in black
  • Fast Line for Westbound through trains – Shown in red
  • Platform 4 – Not used by normal services – Shown in black

Note.

  1. There are three Eastbound tracks, that connect together into a single track from St. Pancras and a single track to Ebbsfleet International station.
  2. An Eastbound train can use any of the three Northernmost tracks to pass though Stratford International station.
  3. There are three Westbound tracks, that connect together into a single track to St. Pancras and a single track from Ebbsfleet International station.
  4. A Westbound train can use any of the three Southernmost tracks to pass though Stratford International station.
  5. As Eurostar trains aren’t scheduled to stop at Stratford International station, they would normally take the fast lines through the station.
  6. Southeastern HighSpeed services usually stop in Platforms 2 or 3, as they pass through the station.
  7. There is a diamond crossover at the eastern end of the station.

It would appear that under normal circumstances Platforms 1 and 4 are not used.

These pictures show Platforms 1 and 4 at Stratford International station.

Note.

  1. Both Platforms 1 and 4 appear to have stairs, an escalator and a lift.
  2. I left from Platform 2, in a pair of Class 395 trains, which would have been 244 metres long.
  3. From the OpenRailwayMap, Platforms 1 and 4, appear to be longer than Platforms 2 and 3.

As Eurostar’s Class 374 trains are 390 metres long, it looks like Platforms 1 and 4 are designed to be able to handle these trains.

The Diamond Crossover At Stratford International Station

The diamond crossover at the Eastern end of the station could be used for unusual or occasional train movements.

  • It could allow services to use St. Pancras station, when there was an inconvenient points failure.
  • It might also allow a train to terminate before returning to the East in either Platform 1 or 4.

It could even allow Stratford International station to be  used as a terminus during emergencies or engineering works.

An Escalator Problem At Stratford International Station

There was an escalator problem At Stratford International station today, which meant I had to walk down to the platform.

I took these pictures.

After walking down, I am fairly sure, that these stairs, which appear to be identical to those on Platforms 1 and 4, are for occasional use only.

Conclusion

I have come to these conclusions about Platforms 1 And 4 at Stratford International station.

  • The platforms are designed to take the longest Eurostar trains.
  • The access to Platforms 1 And 4, doesn’t appear to be designed for continuous heavy use.
  • The diamond crossover at the Eastern end of the station would allow Stratford International station to be used as an emergency terminus.

The track layout at the London end of High Speed One appears to have been designed for all eventualities.

 

July 31, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

St. Pancras To Heathrow By Elizabeth Line

I ate breakfast in Le Pain Quotidien in St.Pancras station this morning and afterwards I took the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow.

I took Thameslink for one stop to Farringdon station and got a Elizabeth Line train direct to Terminal 2 and 3 at the Airport.

Note.

  1. The train I took was going to Gravesend. I suspect it was because of engineering work.
  2. An empty train passed through, whilst I waited. I’ve never seen that before on Thameslink in St. Pancras station.
  3. I travelled in the front of the Thameslink train for the one stop.
  4. The change at Farringdon station was very quick, as it was just down in the lift and the Heathrow train was waiting.

These are some notes on a fast change using the lifts between Southbound Thameslink  and the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon station.

  • Get the first lift of the two that arrives, if like me, you can use escalators.
  • If it goes up, walk across the station at street level and get the two serial escalators down to the Elizabeth Line.
  • If it goes down, take the lift to the Elizabeth Line.

If you can’t manage escalators, you have to wait for a lift going down.

I have some observations.

Meeting And Greeting At St. Pancras Station

From my position in Le Pain Quotidien, I was able to watch passengers leaving and arriving at the Eurostar terminal opposite.

There were quite a few people, who were meeting and greeting others.

In Effects Of The ULEZ In West London, I said this about meeting and greeting at Heathrow.

But as it now so easy to get to the Airport using the Elizabeth Line will more people use the new line to meet and greet and say goodbye to loved ones or business associates. Since the Elizabeth Line opened, I’ve met a couple of friends at Heathrow, who were passing through.

Will the Elizabeth Line increase the number of trips to the airport, by making meeting and greeting easier?

If it does, then it will put more pressure on the services to Heathrow Airport.

Seats In St. Pancras Thameslink Station

These pictures show some of the large number of seats in St. Pancras Thameslink Station.

Should there be more seats along the platform at stations on the Elizabeth Line, where passengers change trains?

My Train To The Airport Was Crowded

Ten in the morning on a Sunday, is not the time I’d expect to be busy, but I estimated it was about ninety percent full, judging by the few empty seats.

There Were Eight Trains Per Hour (tph) To And From Heathrow

From Real Time Trains, it looks like the following trains were running.

  • Elizabeth Line – Abbey Wood and Terminal Four – 2 tph
  • Elizabeth Line – Abbey Wood and Terminal Five – 2 tph
  • Heathrow Express – Paddington and Terminal Five – 4 tph

My train to the Airport had been going to Terminal Four.

Is eight tph the maximum frequency, that can use the tunnel to the Airport?

Is The Elizabeth Line Diverting Passengers From Heathrow Express?

When I returned from the Airport, my Elizabeth Line train left about ten minutes after a Heathrow Express train.

  • The Heathrow Express train wasn’t very full.
  • The Elizabeth Line train was very full.
  • Passengers got out at all stations.
  • I got out at Tottenham Court Road.

It will be interesting to see the Heathrow Express passenger figures.

Which Is The Best Elizabeth Line Station For A Marks and Spencer?

Because their gluten-free food is so much better than other shops, this is important to me.

  • There are larger stores at Ealing Broadway, Tottenham Court Road (West), Liverpool Street (West), Stratford and Ilford.
  • There are food only stores at Heathrow, Paddington, Bond Street and Liverpool Street (East).

Today, I used the large store by the Western entrance at Tottenham Court Road station.

But, if you want to avoid walking, Stratford is probably the easiest.

 

 

April 16, 2023 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Moorgate And Luton Airport Parkway

This morning I went by train from Moorgate to Luton Airport Parkway to have a look at the Luton DART.

I used the following route.

  • Elizabeth Line – Moorgate to Farringdon.
  • Thameslink – Farringdon to Luton Airport Parkway.

I came back from Luton Airport Parkway on a Luton Airport Express.

I took these pictures on the route.

Note.

  1. The change at Farringdon station was very easy.
  2. You walk past toilets at the Farringdon change.
  3. There are two bridges, lots of escalators and lifts at Luton Airport Parkway station.
  4. I didn’t take the DART to the airport.

These are some detailed thoughts.

Luton Airport Parkway Station

It is a much improved station, but still has some work to do.

  • There was a problem with one escalator.
  • Some of the signage is not finalised.
  • I had a problem with ticketing, as I was sold the wrong ticket.
  • Staff probably need a bit more training.

But then the station has only been open three weeks.

Luton Airport Express

East Midland Railway’s St. Pancras and Corby service is now branded as Luton Airport Express.

  • It has its own web site.
  • Trains only stop at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough and Kettering.
  • Trains take as little as twenty-two minutes between St. Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway.
  • Class 360 trains are used.
  • Trains run every thirty minutes.

As it serves the local area, I wonder how many airport employees, now use this train to get to work?

 

April 14, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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