The Anonymous Widower

East West Rail Unveils Next Phase For Oxford-Cambridge Growth

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the UK Government.

These three bullet points act as sub-headings.

  • more frequent trains on the horizon for millions of passengers between Oxford and Cambridge as multibillion pound East West Rail project confirms next steps 
  • new rail station set to help serve upcoming Universal theme park in Bedford, as well as improvements planned for several existing stations  
  • new route delivers on the government’s Plan for Change, unlocking £6.7 billion of regional economic growth and delivering up to 100,000 new homes

These two introductory paragraphs make a few general points about the overall project, housing and jobs.

Millions of people across the Oxford to Cambridge corridor are set to benefit from more frequent trains as the East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has revealed the next steps for the second phase of the project today (19 November 2025).

As one of Britain’s largest transport projects, East West Rail forms a cornerstone of the government’s Plan for Change, unlocking £6.7 billion of regional economic growth by 2050, enabling up to 100,000 new homes and supporting tens of thousands of new jobs along the route.

These sections make some more  detailed points.

How Many Permanent Staff Will Be Employed At Universal Studios Bedford?

As many will want to live locally, this will surely encourage many to use the trains on the East-West Rail to travel to work, so this will be an important factor.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

Universal Studios plans to employ 8,000 permanent staff at its new resort in Bedford. This number is part of an overall total of approximately 28,000 jobs, which includes 20,000 jobs during the construction phase.

My project management knowledge is telling me that the station should be built before the theme park.

How Many Daily Visitors Are Expected At Universal Studios Bedford?

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

The Universal Studios theme park in Bedford is expected to have 55,000 visitors on peak days from its launch, based on its plan to handle 8.5 million annual visitors. The project, planned to open in 2031, is expected to attract 8.5 million annual visitors in its first year, with numbers rising to 12 million within 20 years.

I would expect a large number of visitors and staff will probably be encouraged to come by train, just as they are at some Premier League football stadiums.

Will Universal Studios Bedford Be Marketed As A Low Carbon Theme Park?

I’m asking this question, as it seems, the railway is being upgraded make this easier.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

Yes, it appears Universal Studios Bedford will be marketed as having a low-carbon focus, as evidenced by its planning applications that highlight sustainability efforts. The project outlines include goals for water conservation, energy reduction and clean energy use, waste minimization, and the use of low-carbon materials, all of which will likely be part of the marketing narrative for the theme park, according to LinkedIn.

How Many Car Parking Spaces Will Be Provided At Universal Studios Bedford?

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

The Universal Studios resort planned for Bedford will include a minimum of 7,106 parking spaces and 100 coach bays. The resort is also expected to have 250 cycle spaces and enough room for over 7,100 cars

That is a lot of car parking spaces. Hopefully, there will be a lot of car charging points.

 

Increased Train Frequency And Capacity

These two paragraphs from the press release, talk about increased train frequency and capacity.

Following extensive consultation with local communities, the multi-billion-pound project has confirmed it is exploring a series of transformative plans including increasing the proposed frequency of trains from 3 or 4 to up to 5 per hour.

These enhancements could provide up to 70% more seating across the route, easing overcrowding and speeding up boarding, as well as cutting average waiting times, improving service resilience and creating a smoother, more reliable passenger experience.

When you consider that London Overground, Merseytravel, the South Wales Metro, West Midlands Trains and other local lines in the UK consider than four trains per hour to be a minimum service, then five trains per hour is to be welcomed.

Station Improvements And New Stations

These two paragraphs from the press release, talk about station improvements and new stations..

Several other improvements across the route have also been confirmed, including new station entrances at Bletchley, Cambridge and Bedford, as well as four brand-new stations along the Marston Vale Line – the first significant investment since the 1960s.

With the current stations on the Marston Vale Line seeing some of the lowest usage in the country, the new stations will better serve local communities by providing faster, more frequent services, as well as helping to serve the upcoming Universal theme park.

I thought Bletchley, Cambridge and Bedford stations had already been substantially improved in recent years.

A New Station At Stewartby

Are the station improvements to upgrade public transport access to the Universal theme park at Stewartby station?

  • An East-West Rail service between Oxford and Stansted Airport via Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Stewartby, Bedford and Cambridge would give the Universal theme park all-important airport access.
  • Would an upgraded Bletchley station improve interchange between the West Coast Main Line and East-West Rail give better access to the theme park from London, the West Midlands and North-West for visitors?
  • Would an upgraded Bedford station improve interchange between the Midland Main Line and East-West Rail give better access to the theme park from London, the East Midlands and North-East for visitors?
  • An upgraded Bedford station could also be marketed as a zero-carbon route between the theme park and the Continent via St. Pancras International and Eurostar.
  • Would an upgraded Cambridge station give better access to the theme park from the East of England?

In addition four new stations on the Marston Vale Line would improve access for visitors and staff, who live locally.

Will Battery-Electric Trains Be Used On The East-West Rail?

As five major East-West Rail stations; Bedford, Bletchley, Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Reading are substantially served by main line electric trains, and it is likely that more stations will be in future, I believe that East-West Rail must either be electrified or services should be run by battery-electric trains, which would enable zero-carbon rail routes to and from London and all the city’s airports, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and an increasing number of cities  in the North and Midlands of England, and Scotland and Wales.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

Yes, the East West Rail (EWR) project plans to use battery-electric trains as part of a discontinuous electrification strategy. This means trains will run on overhead electric power in sections where they are installed, and on onboard batteries in other sections of the route.

It does appear that discontinuous electrification and battery-electric trains will be used.

Electrification At Bedford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows The East side of Bedford station.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified and black tracks are not.
  2. The black track looping into the station from the East is the Marston Vale Line, which will connect the East-West Rail to Bedford station.
  3. At the Easternmost part of the curve is Bedford St. Johns station, which serves Bedford hospital.
  4. The Marston Vale Line services normally connect to Platform 1A at Bedford station.
  5. But it also appears trains can also use Platforms 1 and 2 at Bedford station.
  6. It also appears that that Platforms 1A, 1 and 2 are all electrified.

This picture confirms electrification in Platforms 1A and 1.

Note.

  1. Platform 1A is on the left.
  2. Platform 1 is on the right.
  3. The Thameslink train on the right is in Platform 2.
  4. Platforms 1A, 1 and 2 are all clearly electrified.
  5. Platform 1A is 81 metres long, so could accept a typical four-coach train.

Battery-electric trains with pantographs could certainly by charged in either of these two platforms at Bedford station.

Electrification At Milton Keynes Central Station

It would appear that East-West Rail services will use Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. The red tracks are electrified and black tracks are not.
  2. Platform 1 is the through platform on the North-East side of the station.
  3. Platform 2A is the bay platform tucked underneath Platform 1.
  4. Platform 2A is clearly electrified.
  5. Platform 2A is 124 metres long, so could accept a typical five or six-coach train.

These pictures show Platforms 1 and 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Battery-electric trains with pantographs could certainly by charged in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Electrification At Oxford Station

It would appear that terminating East-West Rail services will use Platform 1 or 2 at Oxford station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The red and black tracks are to be electrified and black tracks are not.
  2. Platforms 1 and 2 are shown in black and are likely to be used by terminating East-West Rail trains.
  3. Platforms 1 and 2 would need to be electrified to be able to charge trains.
  4. Platforms 1 and 2 would also be used by Chiltern’s London services.
  5. Platform 1 and 2 are respectively 157 and 160 metres long, so could accept a typical five or six-coach train.
  6. As Oxford and Reading is to be electrified, through East-West Rail trains could use that electrification to travel to and from Reading.

These pictures show Platforms 1 and 2 at Oxford station.

Battery-electric trains with pantographs could certainly by charged in Platform 1 and 2 at Oxford station, if the platforms were electrified.

Electrification At Reading Station

The West-facing platforms at Reading station are all electrified and longer than 120 metres, so could accept a typical four or five-coach train.

What Trains Should Be Used?

Consider.

  • There is only one battery-electric train, that has been tested on the UK rail network – The Hitachi Class 802 train or similar.
  • There is only one battery-electric train, that has been ordered – The Hitachi Class 802 train or similar.
  • The longest distance on battery, between Reading and Bedford, is probably about thirty miles.

The Government could do a lot worse than order some more Class 802 trains, that were tailored for East-West Rail.

The Hitachi Class 802 train has five-cars, which are 26 metres long.

  • It has a 125 mph operating speed.
  • It has a range of 45 miles on battery power.
  • The trains have been proven in service.
  • The trains are made in the UK.
  • The trains could handle extended routes like Birmingham and Stansted Airport or Cardiff and Cambridge.

A four-car variant of the train with a 100 mph operating speed could be an alternative.

What Will Be The Initial East-West Rail Service?

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

The initial East West Rail service will be between Oxford and Milton Keynes/Bletchley, with passenger services delayed until at least 2026 due to a dispute over train crew roles. Freight services began in June 2025, and temporary diesel services will run until the line is electrified. The full project aims to connect Oxford and Cambridge.

Note.

  1. Stewartby station for Universal Studios Bedford will not be served by East-West Rail initially.
  2. But I suspect, that the current Marston Vale Line service will continue, with a change if needed at Bletchley or Bedford to get to Stewartby.
  3. Earlier I showed that Google AI is predicting 20,000 construction jobs at Universal Studios Bedford, which I am sure will need some form of high-capacity rail transport, if grid-lock is to be avoided in much of Bedfordshire.

Perhaps an initial fleet of four- or five-car Class 802 diesel-electric trains could be ordered and they would run the full route between Oxford and Bedford stations, with a reverse in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes station.

  • The trains would run initially on diesel.
  • By using stepping-up in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes station, I believe a two trains per hour (tph) service could surely be run.
  • Hitachi could probably deliver the trains quickly, as they have not long been out of production.
  • Those living locally would get a much improved train service from their local station to and from Bedford, Milton Keynes or Oxford.
  • A large portion of the onward connectivity of the East-West Rail would be delivered early to the benefit of locals and visitors.
  • If extra services are needed, semi-fast services could be added between Bedford and Reading with stops at Stewartby, Bletchley, Bicester Village, Oxford Parkway and Oxford stations.

When Platforms 1 and 2 at Oxford station are electrified and the trains are converted to battery-electric operation, the route could be converted to zero-carbon operation.

Virtually Nothing Is Said About The Route Of The East-West Rail Between Bedford and Cambridge South Stations Via Tempsford Station

This quote from David Hughes, CEO, East West Railway Company, is the only time, that Tempsford is mentioned in the press release.

“From a new station at Cambridge East to better access in Oxford and clear alignment through Tempsford, East West Rail is shaping the modern, sustainable transport link this region needs to thrive.”

I asked Google AI, if  the proposed route of the East-West Rail between Bedford and Cambridge South stations through Tempsford is controversial and I received this reply.

Yes, the proposed route of East West Rail between Bedford and Cambridge is controversial, with opposition from some local residents and political figures who have expressed concerns about the southern alignment through Tempsford and surrounding villages. However, East West Rail Co has selected the route north of the Black Cat roundabout as the preferred alignment, citing reasons like cost-effectiveness and fewer disruptions, while also updating designs to include a southern station entrance to connect with planned growth areas around Tempsford.

Does Government or Artificial Intelligence have precedence?

Cambridge East Station Gets A First Mention

This quote from David Hughes, CEO, East West Railway Company, is the first time, that I’ve seen Cambridge East station mentioned.

“From a new station at Cambridge East to better access in Oxford and clear alignment through Tempsford, East West Rail is shaping the modern, sustainable transport link this region needs to thrive.”

In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, there is extensive talk of an A14 Parkway station.

  • The document dates from 2018.
  • Google AI can’t find any trace of the A14 Parkway station referred to in the document.
  • This article on the BBC, which was written five days ago and is entitled Additional City station Proposed By East West Rail, is the only reference on the Internet, that references Cambridge East station.
  • The BBC article also says that other proposals after consultation include a new eastern entrance for Cambridge station, locating Cambourne station closer to the town and a mined tunnel for Bourn Airfield.
  • I also have to assume that A14 Parkway has also morphed into Cambridge East station.
  • To access all my posts, that relate to A14 Parkway, click this link.

But it does seem that consultation appears to have produced an acceptable compromise.

Between Kempston Hardwick and Tempsford Stations Through Bedford

I’ve now found that OpenRailwayMap  has been updated between Bedford and Cambridge.

This first section shows the route between Kempston Hardwick and Tempsford stations through Bedford.

 

Note.

  1. Kempston Hardwick station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The yellow track is the Marston Vale Line, which goes through Bedford St. Johns and Bedford stations.
  3. The red track on the West side of the map is the Midland Main Line.
  4. The red track on the East side of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
  5. The dotted red line across the top of the map will be the route of the East-West Rail.
  6. Tempsford station will be to the South-West of where the East Coast Main Line and East-West Rail cross in the North-East cornet of the map.

I hope the good people of Bedford are happier now!

Between Tempsford and Cambourne

I’ve now found that OpenRailwayMap  has been updated between Bedford and Cambridge.

This second section shows the route between Tempsford and Cambourne stations.

Note.

  1. The dotted red line across the top of the map will be the route of the East-West Rail.
  2. Tempsford station is in the South-West corner of the map on the route of the East-West Rail.
  3. The red track on the West side of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
  4. Cambourne is the village in the North-East corner of the map.

 

November 23, 2025 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Centrica Really Can’t Lose At Sizewell

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

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica’s £1.3 billion investment in Sizewell C guarantees substantial returns, even with cost overruns.

These two-and-a-half paragraphs explain the funding.

Now we know what Ed Miliband means by his “golden age of nuclear” — golden for the companies putting their money into Sizewell C. Yes, reactor projects have a habit of blowing up private investors. But maybe not this one. It looks more like an exercise in transferring risk to consumers and the taxpayer.

Sure, nobody builds a £38 billion nuke on a Suffolk flood plain without a frisson of danger. But the energy secretary and his Treasury chums have done their bit to make things as safe as possible for the companies putting in equity alongside the government’s 44.9 per cent stake: Canada’s La Caisse with 20 per cent, British Gas-owner Centrica (15 per cent), France’s EDF (12.5 per cent) and Amber Infrastructure (7.6 per cent).

For starters, nearly all the debt for the 3.2 gigawatt plant, three-quarters funded by loans, is coming from the state-backed National Wealth Fund. It’s bunging in up to £36.6 billion, with £5 billion more guaranteed by a French export credit agency.

It looks to me that between them the British and French governments are providing £41.5 billion of loans to build the £38 billion nuke.

These are my thoughts.

Hydrogen And Sizewell C

This page on the Sizewell C web site is entitled Hydrogen And Sizewell C.

Under a heading of Hydrogen Buses, this is said.

At Sizewell C, we are exploring how we can produce and use hydrogen in several ways. We are working with Wrightbus on a pilot scheme which, if successful, could see thousands of workers transported to and from site on hydrogen double decker buses. You can read more about the pilot scheme in our press release

Firstly, it could help lower emissions during construction of the power station. Secondly, once Sizewell C is operational, we hope to use some of the heat it generates (alongside electricity) to make hydrogen more efficiently.

This would appear to be a more general statement about hydrogen and that the following is planned.

  1. Hydrogen-powered buses will be used to bring workers to the site. A press release on the Sizewell C web site, talks about up to 150 buses. That would probably be enough buses for all of Suffolk.
  2. Hydrogen-powered construction equipment will be used in the building of the power station.
  3. It also talks about using the excess heat from the power station to make hydrogen more efficiently. I talk about this process in Westinghouse And Bloom Energy To Team Up For Pink Hydrogen.

This is a substantial investment in hydrogen.

Centrica And Electricity From Sizewell C

The article in The Times, also says this.

Even so, there’s a fair bit of protection for the likes of Centrica, which has also agreed a 20-year offtake deal for its share of Sizewell’s electricity. The price of that is not yet known.

Nothing is said in the article about the size of Centrica’s electricity offtake.

  • If they get 15 % of Sizewell C, that would by 480 MW.
  • If they get 15 % of Sizewell B + C, that would by 660 MW.

If they use their share to generate hydrogen, Suffolk would have a massive hydrogen hub.

To power the buses and construction of Sizewell C, Sizewell B could be used to provide electricity to create the hydrogen.

How Would The Hydrogen Be Produced?

Centrica, along with other companies, who include Hyundai and Kia, are backers of a company in Hull called HiiROC, who use a process called Thermal Plasma Electrolysis to generate hydrogen.

On their web site, they have this sub-heading.

A Transformational New Process For Affordable Clean Hydrogen

The web site also describes the process as scalable from small modular units up to industrial scale. It also says this about the costs of the system: As cheap as SMR without needing CCUS; a fraction of the energy/cost of water electrolysis.

If HiiROC have achieved their objective of scalability, then Centrica could grow their electrolyser to meet demand.

How Would The Hydrogen Be Distributed?

Consider.

  • Currently, the Sizewell site has both road and rail access.
  • I can still see in my mind from the 1960s, ICI’s specialist articulated Foden trucks lined up in the yard at Runcorn, taking on their cargoes of hydrogen for delivery all over the country.
  • As that factory is still producing hydrogen and I can’t remember any accidents in the last sixty years, I am fairly sure that a range of suitable hydrogen trucks could be developed to deliver hydrogen by road.
  • The road network to the Siewell site is being updated to ensure smooth delivery of workers and materials.
  • The rail access to the Sizewell site is also being improved, for the delivery of bulk materials.

I believe there will be no problems delivering hydrogen from the Sizewell site.

I also believe that there could be scope for a special-purpose self-propelled hydrogen tanker train, which could both distribute and supply the hydrogen to the vehicles, locomotives and equipment that will be using it.

Where Will The Hydrogen Be Used?

I have lived a large part of my life in Suffolk and know the county well.

In my childhood, there was quite a lot of heavy industry, but now that has all gone and employment is based on agriculture, the Port of Felixstowe and service industries.

I can see hydrogen being used in the following industries.

Transport

Buses and heavy trucks would be powered by hydrogen.

The ports in the East of England support a large number of heavy trucks.

Large Construction Projects

Sizewell C is not the only large construction project in the East of England, that is aiming to use low-carbon construction involving hydrogen. In Gallagher Group Host Hydrogen Fuel Trial At Hermitage Quarry, I talked about a hydrogen fuel trial for the Lower Thames Crossing, that involved JCB and Ryse Hydrogen.

Hydrogen for the Lower Thames Crossing could be delivered from Sizewell by truck, down the A12.

Rail

We may not ever see hydrogen-powered passenger trains in this country, but I do believe that we could see hydrogen-powered freight locomotives.

Consider.

  • The latest electro-diesel Class 99 locomotives from Stadler have a Cummins diesel engine.
  • The diesel engine is used, when there is no electrification.
  • Cummins have developed the technology, that allows them to convert their latest diesel engines to hydrogen or natural gas power, by changing the cylinder head and the fuel system.
  • Access to the Port of Felixstowe and London Gateway needs a locomotive with a self-powered capability for the last few miles of the route.

A Class 99 locomotive converted to hydrogen would be able to run with out emitting any carbon dioxide from Felixstowe or London Gateway to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

 

Ports

Ports have three main uses for hydrogen.

  • To power ground-handing equipment, to create a pollution-free atmosphere for port workers.
  • To fuel ships of all sizes from the humblest work-boat to the largest container ships.
  • There may need to be fuel for hydrogen-powered rail locomotives in the future.

There are seven ports with excellent road and/or rail connections to the Sizewell site; Felixstowe, Great Yarmouth, Harwich, Ipswich, London Gateway, Lowestoft and Tilbury.

The proposed Freeport East is also developing their own green hydrogen hub, which is described on this page on the Freeport East web site.

Airports

Airports have two main uses for hydrogen.

  • To power ground-handing equipment, to create a pollution-free atmosphere for airport workers.
  • In the future, there is likely to be hydrogen-powered aircraft.

There are three airports with excellent road and/or rail connections to the Sizewell site; Norwich, Southend and Stansted.

Agriculture And The Rural Economy

Agriculture and the rural economy would be difficult to decarbonise.

Consider.

  • Currently, most farms would use diesel power for tractors and agricultural equipment, which is delivered by truck.
  • Many rural properties are heated by propane or fuel oil, which is delivered by truck.
  • Some high-energy rural businesses like blacksmiths rely on propane, which is delivered by truck.
  • Electrification could be possible for some applications, but ploughing the heavy land of Suffolk, with the added weight of a battery on the tractor, would probably be a mathematical impossibility.
  • JCB are developing hydrogen-powered construction equipment and already make tractors.
  • Hydrogen could be delivered by truck to farms and rural properties.
  • Many boilers can be converted from propoane to run on hydrogen.

I feel, that hydrogen could be the ideal fuel to decarbonise agriculture and the rural economy.

I cover this application in detail in Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network.

Exports

Consider.

  • Sizewell B and Sizewell C nuclear powerstations have a combined output of 4.4 GW.
  • A rough calculation shows that there is a total of 7.2 GW of wind farms planned off the Suffolk coast.
  • The East Anglian Array wind farm alone is said in Wikipedia to be planned to expand to 7.2 GW.
  • The Sizewell site has a high capacity connection to the National Grid.

Nuclear plus wind should keep the lights on in the East of England.

Any excess electricity could be converted into hydrogen.

This Google Map shows the location of Sizewell B in relation to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.

The Sizewell site is indicated by the red arrow.

The offshore oil and gas industry has used technology like single buoy moorings and coastal tankers to collect offshore natural gas for decades.

I don’t see why coastal hydrogen tankers couldn’t export excess hydrogen to places around the North Sea, who need the fuel.

It should be born in mind, that Centrica have a good reputation in doing natural gas trading. This expertise would surely be useful in hydrogen trading.

Conclusion

I believe that a hydrogen hub developed at Sizewell makes sense and I also believe that Centrica have the skills and technology to make it work.

 

 

 

July 24, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Finance, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UK Investment Summit Latest: Starmer Announces £1.1bn Expansion Of Stansted Airport

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

The Times has this sub-heading about Stansted

Analysis: Stansted Deal Prioritises Growth Over Climate

There are four paragraphs of analysis.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer made clear that his commitments to boost workers’ rights would not get in the way of his desire to bring in cash from the owners of P&O. As ministers now trumpet a deal to upgrade Stansted airport, it seems that growth and jobs also trump concerns about emissions.

Louise Haigh, the transport secretary who prompted the row with DP World by calling P&O a “rogue operator”, praised the Stansted deal as a “clear signal that Britain is open for business”. She argued that Stansted could be upgraded “while also meeting our existing environment obligations”, with the airport promising a new solar farm to generate electricity. But environmentalists will be dismayed by the prospect of more plane journeys and associated emissions.

The deal also raises fresh questions about a third runway at Heathrow after years of dithering under the Conservatives. No 10 has previously said it is “not opposed” to expansion if it can meet tests on emissions, climate change, noise pollution — and growth.

Starmer has said he will not duck decisions because they are “too difficult”. A decision on Heathrow offers a very clear test of that promise.

Is Hydrogen The Reason For The Choice Of Stansted?

I wonder if the choice of Stansted for expansion is down to the likelihood, that East Anglia will be a big centre for the generation of zero-carbon green and pink hydrogen, with gigawatts of offshore wind farms for the green and nuclear at Sizewell for the pink.

Aircraft of the future will surely need hydrogen for flying to their destinations.

Already, the massive construction of Sizewell C is going to be performed using zero-construction methods involving electricity and hydrogen, as far as is possible.

Large construction at Stansted Airport could be done in a similar manner, using perhaps a hydrogen pipeline between Sizewell and Stansted running along the A 14. This would probably be built anyway, so that East Anglia’s large numbers of heavy trucks could be converted to hydrogen.

Already the hydrogen buses to bring workers to the Sizewell C site have been ordered from Wrightbus in Ballymena.

Airbus, are planning to have their hydrogen-powered Boeing 737/A 320-size airliner in service by the mid-2030s. From visualisations released by Airbus, the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan looks very much like a redesigned version of the current A320 neo, with two hydrogen turbofans (hopefully with RR on the side!) Converting an existing proven airliner, only means that the new parts need to be certified, so this would bring the plane into service quicker.

Airbus’s infographic shows the Zeroe hydrogen Turbofan will seat up to 200 passengers and have a range of 2,000 nautical miles or 3,700 km.

Discover the three zero-emission concept aircraft known as ZEROe in this infographic. These turbofan, turboprop, and blended-wing-body configurations are all hydrogen hybrid aircraft.

 

A typical A 320 neo will fly 165 passengers up to 3,500 nautical miles or 6.500 km.

A few distances from Stansted include.

  • Athens – 2,400 km.
  • Berlin – 905 km.
  • Cairo – 3514 km.
  • Copenhagen 913 km.
  • Dublin – 470 km.
  • Edinburgh – 509 km.
  • Gander 3,800 km
  • Geneva – 760 km.
  • Glasgow – 540 km.
  • Istanbul – 2480 km.
  • Madrid – 1300 km.
  • Milan – 960 km.
  • Munich – 909 km.
  • Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
  • Reykjavík – 1870 km.
  • Rome – 1,442 km.
  • Stockholm – 1,400 km.
  • Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
  • Tenerife North – 2944 km.
  • Tenerife South – 2999 km.
  • Warsaw 1,412 km.

These distances would mean, a lot of current European destinations could be reached, if the plane were filled at both airports, but a surprising number of popular places could be reached by only refuelling at Stansted.

It also appears to me, that with refuelling in Iceland and perhaps a stopover, in that delightful and different country, zero-carbon flights across the Atlantic would be possible.

If a hydrogen-powered aircraft has the 3,700 km. range that Airbus are promising, it will be an aircraft with a lot of possibilities!

Short Flights

  • Amsterdam – 541 km.
  • Cardiff – 253 km.
  • Exeter – 284 km.
  • Jersey – 344 km.
  • Liverpool – 264 km.
  • Newcastle – 373 km.
  • Newquay – 399 km.
  • Ronaldsway – 408 km.
  • Southampton – 151 km.

Some of these flights would be competing with trains.

Flights Around The British Isles

One of the longest flights around the British Isles would be between Stansted and Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Isles.

But this is only 894 kilometres, so a return trip would be possible.

I also feel that arranging hydrogen refuelling on Shetland will not be a difficult task, as the islands are likely to have copious supplies of green hydrogen.

Flights From Stansted To Europe

Applying a ten percent reserve probably means a safe one-way range of around 1,700 km.

This would mean that.

  • Amsterdam – 541 km.
  • Berlin – 905 km.
  • Copenhagen – 913 km.
  • Madrid – 1300 km.
  • Milan – 960 km.
  • Munich – 909 km.
  • Palma de Mallorca – 1,400 km.
  • Rome – 1,442 km.
  • Stockholm – 1,400 km.
  • Warsaw 1,412 km.

Should all be in range. of an out-and-back flight, after fully fuelling the plane at Stansted Airport.

Others like.

  • Athens – 2,400 km.
  • Bucharest – 2070 km.
  • Cairo – 3514 km.
  • Istanbul – 2480 km.
  • Lisbon – 1630 km.
  • Malta – 2107 km.
  • Marrakech – 2350. km.
  • Sofia – 2010 km.
  • Tel-Aviv – 3,564 km.
  • Tenerife North – 2944 km.
  • Tenerife South – 2999 km.

Could be handled by refuelling at the destination.

Hopping Across The Atlantic

Consider.

  • My great aunt Beatrice used to fly the Atlantic in the 1950s, although it was usually a succession of small hops between Heathrow Shannon and Gander Airports. I think she regularly used ships like the Queen Mary and Elizabeth, as she found them less stressful.
  • Icelandair offer short stopovers in Reykjavik and I suspect they will offer this with hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.
  • British Airways used to offer a London City Airport to New York flight via Shannon using an Airbus A 318.

I would certainly be interested to hop across from Stansted to New York in a hydrogen-powered aircraft, and I suspect others would do it for the environmental brownie points.

Legs could be.

  • Stansted and Reykjavík – 1870 km.
  • Reykjavík and Gander – 2568 km
  • Gander and New York – 1767 km.

A stop could possibly be squeezed in at Boston.

It could be an interesting way to cross the Atlantic.

Hydrogen Production In East Anglia

I said earlier that East Anglia could produce a lot of zero-carbon green and prink hydrogen from wind and nuclear and this would be used for the following.

  • Aviation out of Stansted and Southend Airports.
  • Shipping out of the Port of Felixstowe, London Gateway and other smaller ports.
  • Providing energy for heavy transport in East Anglia.
  • Providing energy for Freeport East at Felixstowe and Harwich.
  • Refuelling passing shipping.
  • Supplying off-grid energy to rural properties and businesses in the East of England, which I wrote about in Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network.

Any spare hydrogen could always be sold to the Germans.

Decarbonisation Of The Railways In East Anglia

Undoubtedly, some hydrogen will be used to decarbonise some parts of East Anglia’s railways.

Many passenger trains are electrified, but some rural and cross-country services still use diesel. However, the Class 745 trains, that were built by Stadler for these services could be converted to hydrogen or battery-electric.

Similarly, locomotives that haul the freight trains out of the ports of East Anglia will be replaced with hydrogen or battery-electric locomotives.

I am fairly certain, that by 2040, all railways in East Anglia will be zero-carbon.

The East-West Rail Link

It is not known yet, whether the current government will continue to build the East West Rail Link, but it could be invaluable in connecting Stansted Airport to the West of England.

Connecting Stansted Airport To The North Of England and Scotland By Rail

If Stansted is developed as a zero-carbon airport, based on the new hydrogen-powered aircraft, travellers between say the North of England and Scotland, will surely want to travel to Stansted in a carbon-free manner.

So would it be sensible to run rail electric services between the North and Stansted?

Conclusion

Stansted could develop into the UK’s zero-carbon airport.

October 15, 2024 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are LNER Going To Take On The Airlines?

Nine years ago, I wrote Edinburgh – Plane Or Train?, after a trip to Scotland, where I took easyJet up and came back in First Class by train.

  • Both trips were about five hours door-to-door.
  • The flight was about six quid more,
  • But I got free food and drink on the train.
  • Security on the plane was a pain.
  • I had to take my passport for identification at Stansted.

I haven’t flown internally in Great Britain since, although, I have flown to Belfast.

For shorter flights the market is going towards rail, as these posts seem to suggest.

The climate seems to be turning against flying short-haul.

This is a paragraph, in this press release from LNER, which is entitled First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.

This new fleet of trains will keep LNER on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045. LNER has already reduced carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared with 2018/19. Per mile, LNER trains produce 15 times less carbon emissions than a domestic flight.

Are LNER building a number of climate-based sticks, with which to beat the airlines on the routes, where they compete?

These are my thoughts on the various routes, where LNER compete with airlines.

Newcastle

Newcastle is an interesting one.

  • Newcastle station is in the city centre and is on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
  • London King’s Cross is one of London’s major Underground hubs.
  • There are lots of buses and local trains within walking distance of both stations.
  • There are three trains every two hours and an additional eight trains per day (tpd) between the two London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
  • Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
  • There are generally no security delays at rail stations.
  • London King’s Cross is laid out to maximise passenger flows. If it gets busy, everybody just walks out into King’s Cross Square.
  • I’ve never had a problem at Newcastle station with overcrowding.

Perhaps, if you live near one of the airports, flying is more convenient.

LNER’s weapons against the airlines between London King’s Cross and Newcastle will be convenience and journey times.

Convenience is all about the location of the stations, their excellent  local transport networks and good walking routes around the station.

Journey times will only get better, as the magic of digital in-cab signalling, allows the Azumas, the new CAF tri-mode long distance trains and the few remaining InterCity 225s to show what they were designed to do.

Dalton-on-Tees, where the first phase of the digitally signalling will end, is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle, so once the Newcastle train is passes Dalton-on-Tees on the East Coast Main Line, it will be a digital-signalled electrified railway all the way to Woolmer Green.

  • Dalton-on-Tees is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle
  • Woolmer Green is 244.8 miles South of Newcastle.
  • Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is 205 miles.
  • Newcastle and Dalton-on-Tees takes 37 minutes.
  • Woolmer Green and King’s Cross takes 18 minutes
  • Trains take typically an average three hours and nine minutes between London and Newcastle.
  • A typical train time by LNER between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is two hours and 14 minutes.
  • This is an average speed of 91.8 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  • Between London King’s Cross and Newcastle is fully-electrified.

I can build a table of timings and savings at various average speeds.

  • 120 mph – 103 minutes – two hours and 38 minutes – 31 minutes
  • 125 mph – 98 minutes – two hours and 33 minutes – 36 minutes
  • 130 mph – 95 minutes – two hours and 30 minutes – 39 minutes
  • 135 mph – 91 minutes – two hours and 26 minutes – 43 minutes
  • 140 mph – 88 minutes – two hours and 23 minutes – 46 minutes

Note.

  1. The first field is the average speed between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  2. The second field is the time between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
  3. The third field is the time between London and Newcastle.
  4. The fourth field is the saving over current timings.
  5. The London and Newcastle time is calculated by adding the times for the three sections together.

I have regularly timed trains at a very constant 125 mph, so with digital signalling, I suspect an average of 130 mph is possible.

This would mean, times of a few minutes under two hours and thirty minutes could be possible between London and Newcastle.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh builds on the improvements South of Newcastle.

Edinburgh station Waverley is a well-connected station.

  • There are lots of buses, local trains and the Edinburgh Tram within walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley station.
  • There are three trains every two hours and an additional seven tpd between the London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations.
  • Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
  • Trains take typically an average four hours and thirty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley.
  • Any savings because of the digital in-cab signalling between London and Newcastle can be applied to London and Edinburgh Waverley services.

As my calculations showed that averaging 130 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green could save 39 minutes on journey times, I am fairly sure than a sub-four hour journey time will be possible between London and Edinburgh Waverley.

It should also be noted that that the power supply has been improved between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.

  • The distance between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley is 124.2 miles
  • Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley takes around one hour and 30 minutes.
  • This is an average speed of 82.8 mph between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
  • Between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley is fully-electrified.

As the record time for between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley was set by an InterCity225 train in 1993 at three hours and twenty-nine minutes, I suspect that with more digital signalling and some track improvements, that there are more journey time improvements to be squeezed out.

I certainly believe that a time of three hours and fifty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley will be regularly achieved. This is a journey time saving of around forty minutes.

Dundee

Dundee has an airport and a station on the East Coast Main Line.

Trains between London  King’s Cross and Dundee take around five hours and 45 minutes.

LNER run three trains per day to and from London King’s Cross and one tpd to and from Leeds.

CrossCountry also run services.

Loganair has two flights per day to Heathrow.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen builds on the improvements South of Edinburgh.

The four direct tpd between London and Aberdeen take around seven hours and ten minutes.

This should come down to around six hours and thirty minutes with the journey time savings between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.

Will this tempt travellers from the airlines?

Battery-Electric Trains To Dundee And Aberdeen

One thing that will help, is that Edinburgh and Aberdeen is to be partially electrified.

InPiling Work To Get Underway To Electrify Line To Fife, I included this Network Rail map of the electrification.

This map has been downloaded from the Network Rail web site.

The electrification is split into four phases.

  1. Haymarket and Dalmeny – 25 km
  2. Kirkcaldy and Thornton North – 25 km.
  3. Lochgelly and Thornton North – 20 km.
  4. Thornton North and Ladybank – 34 km.

Note.

  1. The last three phases of electrification connect to Thornton North.
  2. The new rail link to Leven will also be electrified. and connected to Thornton North.
  3. The Forth Bridge is not to be electrified.

As Ladybank station is just 91.4 miles from Aberdeen, I suspect LNER will use  Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Trains to serve Aberdeen.

If these trains haven’t got the range, then I suspect LNER’s new CAF Tri-Mode Trains could handle the route.

Inverness

Inverness has a problem.

Zero-carbon trains will be unlikely to get to the city without  full electrification of the Highland Main Line.

  • Dunblane is the nearest electrified station to Inverness, but it is 146.2 miles away over a route with lots of steep climbs.
  • I doubt that a battery-electric train could handle that route.

One solution would be for LNER to run the new CAF Tri-Mode Trains to Inverness using HVO or biodiesel.

Glasgow

Glasgow is the only other Scottish city with an airport and good rail connections to the South.

I am sure that Avanti West Coast will target airline passengers, if LNER prove it is a successful policy.

Other Factors

These are other factors, that will come into a traveller’s choice.

First Class

Some travellers like a bit more comfort and service.

Ability To Work

Some travellers like to work on a train.

You Don’t Get Tables On a Plane

I like to open a paper or magazine flat, which is difficult on a plane.

Views Tend To Be Better On a Train

Providing you get a window!

Parking Tends To Be Better At An Airport

But it may be more expensive!

Security Is Less Hassle On A Train

At the moment!

You Don’t Need To Prove Your Identity On A Train

Not in the UK! Yet!

Conclusion

It looks like LNER can offer the airlines to four of our major Northern cities serious zero-carbon competition.

 

November 19, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stratford Station Secures Funding For Plans Set To Relieve Overcrowding

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

These are the first two paragraphs.

Reduced congestion at London’s Stratford station is on the table as Network Rail secure a £2m boost from the Department for Transport.

Stratford Station has seen a surge in demand – despite the impact of the pandemic – ever since the 2012 Olympics, and the forecast for this is set to grow even more as the area continues to regenerate.

Something needs to be done as it is he busiest non-terminal station in London, that before the pandemic was handling over 42 million passengers per year.

Nothing specific is said, except that more space will be created for passengers with better wayfinding.

Although the article says that this could be a five year project.

The Current Station

This is an extract from It’s Time To Detopsify Stratford Station, which was a previous look at Stratford station in May this year.

This map from cartometro.com shows the Topsy-like nature of the platforms at Stratford.

Note.

  1. The Docklands Light Railway is shown in turquoise.
  2. The DLR platforms in the North-West corner of the map are those of Stratford International station.
  3. High Speed One and the four platforms of Stratford International station are shown in black.
  4. The North London Line of the London Overground is shown in orange.
  5. The North London Line terminates in Platforms 1 and 2, which have a level link to Platform 12.
  6. Platform 12 is on the anti-clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has step-free access to the subway system underneath the station.
  7. Platform 11 is on the clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has level access to Platform 10a and full step-free access,
  8. Platform 10a is used by some services to East Anglia.
  9. Crossrail is shown in blue.
  10. The Central Line is shown in red.
  11. The Jubilee Line is shown in silver.

It is not the best passenger-friendly station layout.

What Would I Do?

These are what I would like to see.

Better Information on the Overground Platforms

If I am returning from Stratford after doing some shopping at Eastfield, I will often climb up the stairs or rise in the lift to the two Overground platforms 1 and 2. I will often find two trains there, but there is no indication to say which will be the first train to leave.

Use Of The High Meads Loop

The High Meads Loop is a double-track loop at the Southern end of the branch of the West Anglia Main Line that leads to Stratford.

  • It is mainly underneath the Eastfield shopping centre.
  • It serves Platforms 11 and 12 in Stratford station.

As the single-track loop of the Wirral Line under Liverpool can handle up to sixteen trains per hour (tph), I believe that the High Meads Loop could be used as the Southern terminus for an improved service to Cambridge, Stansted Airport and up the Lea Valley to Cheshunt, Chingford, Harlow and Hertford East.

The signage from when Stratford had a Stansted Express service is still there and shown in this picture.

 

 

This is almost symptomatic of the chaotic nature of the station.

I get the impression from this sign, that one of the original design criteria of the High Meads Loop and the Overground platforms at Stratford for the North London Line was to create an easy route for the whole of North London to Stansted Airport and Cambridge.

Or is it just a symptom of Too Many Cooks Syndrome, where everybody had their own ideas and no-one took charge and designed Stratford station properly?

Let’s hope Network Rail are fully in charge, as this is not a project to interest Sadiq Khan, as it’s not in South London and that area of London won’t benefit.

A Better Connection Between Stratford Station And Southeastern HighSpeed Services

I have just looked up how it is recommended you might travel between Richmond and Faversham.

The timetable recommends a double-change at Clapham Junction and Victoria.

I would take the Overground to Stratford and then change to the Southeastern HighSpeed services.

  • This route is a single change.
  • The change is step-free.
  • The change involves passing the best station stop in the UK; Marks and Spencer’s large store in the Eastfield Shopping Centre, where takeaway food is well placed for passing trade.

But the change is badly signposted and could be a long walk with a heavy case.

There is probably a need for some form of people mover that connects all the platforms at Stratford station to the platforms at Stansted International station.

Conclusion

Sort it!

 

 

 

September 18, 2021 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Beeching Reversal – Reopening Sawston Station

This is one of the Round 3 bids of Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.

Sawston is a village in South Cambridgeshire, which is shown in this Google Map.

Note.

The West Anglia Main Line and the A1301 road both run North-South to the West of the village.

The railway calls at Whittlesford Parkway station at the bottom of the map.

The A505, which is a main route between West Suffolk and the M11 and the A1 (M) runs across the bottom of the map.

The new Sawston station is proposed to be in Mill Lane close to the old Spicers factory.

This second Google Map shows the area of the proposed station.

Note.

  1. There would appear to be space for a station.
  2. The site is not far from the Western edge of the village.
  3. There is already a comprehensive road junction, that would serve the station.

This third Google Map shows the area of the Whittlesford Parkway station.

Note.

  1. The station running North-South towards the West of the map.
  2. The large car-park to the East of the station.
  3. The smaller car-park to the West of the station.
  4. The station has a Holiday Inn hotel.

I have used the station hundreds of times and I believe that it could be made into a first class transport hub for commuters and visitors to Cambridge.

  • It has good road connections to North Hertfordshire, West Suffolk and North West Essex.
  • It has large amounts of car parking, that ten years ago was rarely full.
  • A step-free footbridge with lifts, needs to be added.
  •  There needs to be better bus connections to local villages.
  • There needs to be a bus connection to the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

I don’t believe massive amounts of money would be needed to realise the full potential of this station.

Services through Whittlesford Station And The Proposed Site Of Sawston Station

Currently, the following services run through Whittlesford station in the Off Peak.

  • Greater Anglia – 2 tph – Liverpool Street and Cambridge North
  • Greater Anglia – 1 tph – Stansted Airport and Norwich
  • CrossCountry – 3 tpd – Stansted Airport and Birmingham New Street

Note.

  1. tph is an abbreviation for trains per hour.
  2. tpd is an abbreviation for trains per day
  3. All Greater Anglia services call at Whittlesford Parkway,  Cambridge and Cambridge North stations and will probably call at Cambridge South station, when it opens.
  4. The CrossCountry service only calls at Audley End station between Stansted Airport and Cambridge.

I believe that the minimum services should be as follows to provide an adequate service, after the opening of Cambridge South station.

  • 4tph – Whittlesford Parkway and Cambridge North stopping at Cambridge South and Cambridge.
  • 2 tph – Liverpool Street and Cambridge North stopping at Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge South and Cambridge.
  • 1 tph – Stansted Airport and Norwich stopping at Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge South, Cambridge and Cambridge North.
  • 1 tph – Stansted Airport and Birmingham New Street stopping at Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge South, Cambridge and Cambridge North.

There could even be a Cambridgeshire Metro serving all stations between Stansted Airport and Ely.

  • All services could be run by electric or bi-mode trains.
  • Possible stops would be Elsenham, Newport, Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford Parkway, Shelford, Cambridge South, Cambridge, Cambridge North and Waterbeach.
  • As they do now some fast services would skip smaller stations.
  • More important stations like Audley End, Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge South and Cambridge North would get a 4 tph service to Cambridge
  • Other stations would get an appropriate service.
  • I would also like to see two fast tph between Cambridge and King’s Lynn, Liverpool Street, Norwich, Peterborough and Stansted.

I think that such a timetable would be possible, if the performance of Greater Anglia’s new trains were to be used to the full.

Could An Extra Stop Be Added At The Proposed Site Sawston Station?

Each extra stop adds extra time to the timetable.

Consider.

  • The faster Liverpool Street and Whittlesford Parkway takes sixty minutes with six stops.
  • The slower Liverpool Street and Whittlesford Parkway takes seventy-four minutes with twelve stops.
  • Greater Anglia’s trains through Whittlesford Parkway and the proposed Sawston station will probably be 100 mph Class 720 trains.

I think it would be reasonable to assume that every extra stop would add 120-150 seconds to the journey time.

As Cambridge South station will be added anyway, will passengers mind up to five minutes added to the timetable?

I doubt with the faster accelerating trains, that there would be a problem about an extra stop at Sawston, but the lengthening of journey times between Cambridge and London may be a problem.

A Possible Alternative Solution

Could there be a possible alternative solution based on improving facilities and services at Whittlesford Parkway station?

  • The service at Whittlesford Parkway station would be increased to 4 tph to Cambridge North, with stops at Shelford, Cambridge South and Cambridge.
  • The service at Whittlesford Parkway station would be increased to 2 tph to Stansted Airport, with stops at Audley End.
  • A step-free bridge with lifts must be installed.
  • An improved bus-service between Sawston and Whittlesford Parkway is needed.
  • An improved bus-service between the Imperial War Museum Duxford and Whittlesford Parkway is needed.
  • Both bus services could be back-to-back and probably should be run every fifteen minutes.
  • As it serves a museum, why not run some heritage buses in the Summer?
  • There should be good cycling provision between Whittlesford Parkway station and Sawston and other surrounding villages.

I very much feel, that improving Whittlesford Parkway station, may be a better value solution, than building a new station at Sawston!

Conclusion

Building a new station at Sawston may not be the best way to improve public transport in the area.

 

March 22, 2021 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Trip To Stansted Airport In A Class 745/1 Train

This lunchtime a friend was passing through Stansted Airport on the way to Glasgow. As we hadn’t seen each other for a couple of years, we had decided to have a coffee at the Airport.

I took these pictures on the trip.

Property Development At Tottenham Hale

There is a lot of development going on around Tottenham Hale station.

There will be a lot more to come.

The New Class 745/1 Train

I travelled in a new Class 745/1 train, which are replacing the Class 379 trains.

Note.

  • The trains have twelve articulated sections.
  • The trains are 236.5 metres long.
  • Only 11-car Class 390 trains or a pair of five-car Class 80x trains are longer.
  •  The train has767 seats at a density of 3.24 seats/metre

This picture through the train emphasises the train’s length.

Note.

  • There are some light slops, but no steps.
  • A coffee and snack trolley would be possible.
  • The overhead racks are generously-sized.
  • Some seats are higher and you step up into them, as they are over the wheels.

The ride was also excellent.

Class 745/1 Train Performance

I made these observations.

  • My train stopped at Tottenham Hale, Harlow Town, Bishops Stortford and Stansted Mountfitchet.
  • The train was at 80 mph most of the time on the West Anglia Main Line.
  • The maximum speed if a Class 745 train is 100 mph.
  • The operating speed of the West Anglia Main Line is given on Wikipedia as 100 mph maximum.
  • The train was didn’t exceed 70 mph on the Stansted Branch.
  • Between Stansted Airport and Stansted Mountfitchet, the train accelerated to 70 mph and then braked at the right time to stop precisely in the following station.

At all times, I felt the train was running very easily. But then there are 125 mph members of the Flirt family running in Norway.

I can see these trains cutting the current 49 minutes between Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

Other times to London’s airports are as follows.

  • London Bridge – Gatwick – Thameslink – 48 minutes.
  • Victoria – Gatwick – Gatwick Express – 30 minutes.
  • Victoria – Gatwick – Southern – 32 minutes.
  • Paddington – Heathrow Central – Heathrow Express – 15 minutes
  • Paddington – Heathrow Central – Crossrail – 28 minutes

With the exception of Heathrow Express, the new Stansted Express doesn’t stand up too badly.

Rye House Gas-Fired Power Station

One of the landmarks you pass on the West Anglia Main Line is Rye House power station.

The weather wasn’t good, but the pictures give an impression of the  715 MW gas-fired power station.

This Google Map shows the power station.

Note.

  1. The West Anglia Main Line running SW-NE across the map.
  2. Sainsbury’s distribution centre to the North of the railway.
  3. The power station to the South of the railway.
  4. The grid-like structure is an air-cooled condenser.

But where is the station’s carbon capture equipment?

The Lea Valley is London’s greenhouse, as this second Google Map shows.

Note all the nurseries and salad producers on the map, which is a mile or so to the South East of the power station.

Drax Group used to pipe carbon dioxide to salad producers from Drax power station, so why aren’t they doing it here?

Changing At Tottenham Hale Station

This set of pictures show my change at Tottenham Hale station, when I returned to London.

Note.

  1. The step-free entry to the Class 745 train.
  2. The Stansted Express used Platform 3.
  3. It was then followed in Platform 3, by a train to Liverpool Street via Hackney Downs station.
  4. At the same time, a train arrived in Platform 4, which went to Stratford via Lea Bridge station.
  5. I took the Stratford train to Lea Bridge station.
  6. The train was a Class 379 train, which has been replaced by the Class 745 train.

It looks like all Stansted Expresses have an interchange to trains to Hackney Downs and Stratford after a few minutes.

This sums up, what travellers can do at Tottenham Hale station, after arriving on a Stansted Express.

  • Stay on the Stansted Express for Liverpool Street.
  • Wait for the next train to Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street, on the same platform.
  • Wait for the train to Stratford, on the other side of the same platform.
  • Catch the Victoria Line, as passengers have done for decades.
  • There are also lots of buses and taxis.

When Crossrail opens, there will be connections at Stratford and Liverpool Street.

Lea Bridge Station

I took these pictures at Lea Bridge station.

Note, that not all trains on this route are Class 379 trains.

Property Development At Lea Bridge Station

There is a lot of development going on around Lea Bridge station.

As at Tottenham Hale and Stratford, there will probably be more to come.

Lea Bridge Road In Mid Afternoon

As I just mixed a 56 bus home, I walk about half-a-mile to the next bus stop.

It was not a pleasant walk!

October 26, 2020 Posted by | Design, Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stevenage Station’s New Fifth Platform Opened A Year Early

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

This is the introductory paragraph.

A new £40 million platform and track at Stevenage station has been completed more than a year ahead of schedule.

Yesterday, it appears that the first scheduled train left Stevenage for Moorgate at 0502.

Will This Be Good For Travellers?

A few thoughts!

Stevenage Hospital

One of my old school friends lives in Cuffley. From that part of Hertfordshire, the hospital, patients use is in Stevenage. He can drive, but not everybody can!

LNER

Currently, LNER run an hourly service between Stevenage and Leeds, with an hourly service between Stevenage and Lincoln or York via Newark.

North From Enfield, Palmers Green, Southgate, Winchmore Hill and Wood Green

If you live in Enfield or the old London boroughs of Southgate or Wood Green, it could be easier to pick up trains for the North from Stevenage, rather than Kings Cross.

Not Bad For Me Too!

Even, where I live now, which is a mile or so East of Highbury & Islington station, if the timing is right, I can walk or get a bus for four stops to Essex Road station and get a train to Stevenage and then change for Leeds and the North.

East Coast Trains

East Coast Trains will be starting a fast, low-cost London Kings Cross and Edinburgh service, which will call at Stevenage.

Grand Central Trains

Grand Central Trains are currently shut down because of COVID-19, but will they call at Stevenage station, when they restart?

Hull Trains

Some Hull Trains services between London Kings Cross and Hull, call at Stevenage.

Hitachi’s Class 80x Trains

LNER, East Coast Trains and Hull Trains, all run versions of Hitachi’s Class 800 trains or similar.

These trains are built for performance and an extra stop at Stevenage station can probably be incorporated in the timetable without any penalty.

So will we see more trains stopping at Stevenage, if the train operators think it will be worthwhile?

Could Some Services From The North Terminate At Stevenage?

The Digswell Viaduct and the double-track section through Welwyn North station are the major bottleneck on the East Coast Main Line.

But a train returning North at Stevenage wouldn’t go over the viaduct.

Stevenage already has or could have excellent connections to the following.

  • Cambridge, Stansted Airport and East Anglia
  • Moorgate and the City of London and Crossrail.
  • North East London

If keen pricing can encourage travellers to use Stevenage instead of Kings Cross, I can see operators wanting to run extra services, that could start at Stevenage.

I can also see Greater Anglia getting in on the act.

Could Greater Anglia’s Ipswich and Cambridge service be extended to Stevenage via the planned Cambridge South and Royston stations?

Could the service be timed to offer cross-platform interchange with their Norwich and Stansted Airport, at Cambridge South station?

Four important extra services would be created with a step-free interchange.

  • Ipswich and Stansted Airport – 106 minutes – Step-free walk across at Cambridge South station
  • Ipswich and Stevenage – 115 minutes – New direct service
  • Norwich and Stansted Airport – 107 minutes – Existing service
  • Norwich and Stevenage – 116 minutes – Step-free walk across at Cambridge South station.

A large number East Anglian rail journeys would be simpler.

Car Parking

Will there be enough car parking at Stevenage station?

I suppose, it would be possible to build a Stevenage Parkway station between Stevenage and Watton-at-Stone stations.

This Google Map shows the area.

Note, that the railway seems to mark the development limit for the town.

The high performance of the Class 717 trains, would probably mean, that there would be no lengthened journey times.

Conclusion

This project appears to have been well-thought through!

 

 

August 4, 2020 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Plans For Brandon Rail Station Upgrade Deemed Lawful By Local Council

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

This is the introductory paragraph.

Train operator Greater Anglia has been allowed to press ahead with plans to complete £1m of improvements at Brandon railway station.

Work at Brandon station will include.

  • Demolishing of redundant buildings, that are not in the best of condition.
  • Install new shelters, LED lights, CCTV cameras and better drainage.
  • Increase car parking spaces from six to a hundred.
  • It looks like accessible car parking will be provided.
  • Provide a new bat roost.

The overall cost will be a million pounds.

This Google Map shows the station.

Note.

  1. Cambridge and Ely is to the West and Norwich is to the East.
  2. The queues at the level crossing at the Western end of the station.
  3. I seem to remember, that it’s a Council Depot on the North side of the tracks.

At some time in the future the station will need a step-free footbridge.

Greater Anglia’s Norwich And Stansted Service

This is the main passenger service at Brandon station.

  • Trains are four-car Class 755 trains.
  • The service is hourly.
  • Trains take about thirty minutes between Brandon and Cambridge stations.
  • Trains take about an hour between Brandon and Stansted Airport stations.
  • Trains take forty-five minutes between Brandon and Norwich stations.

Will there be enough car parking spaces?

Could Brandon Station Ever Have A Half-Hourly Service?

If there’s one city that will dominate the economy of East Anglia, it is Cambridge and its need for premises and housing for workers, will mean that there will be increasing numbers of passengers using the trains into Cambridge.

So I wouldn’t be surprised to see a half-hourly service between Norwich and Cambridge.

Could We See More Brandon Stations?

As I travel round the country, I’ve visited several stations like Brandon. Many could be improved by a radical restructuring or a comprehensive refurbishing.

May 7, 2020 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Greater Anglia’s New Stansted Service To And From Norwich

Stansted Airport railway station now has the following rail services.

  • Four trains per hour (tph) Stansted Express services to and from Liverpool Street station.
  • One tph to and from Cambridge.
  • One tph to and from Birmongham New Street
  • One tph to and from Norwich, which started on December 15th, 2019.

This morning I wen to the station to use the new service to Cambridge.

Note.

  1. Platform 1 at Stansted Airport, is used to handle two trains.
  2. The Class 755 trains appeared to be using overhead 25 KVAC.
  3. The Cambridge-Ipswich and Norwich-Stansted services appear to offer interchange possibilities at Cambridge could be developed in the future.
  4. It appeared that a new Class 755 train had failed and was parked in Platform 1a at Stansted.

The service certainly seemed to be attracting more than a handle of passengers.

These are a few extra thoughts.

Whittlesford Parkway Station

Whittlesford Parkway station has a Holiday Inn hotel and a large car park, as this Google Map shows.

When I lived in the area, I used to use it as a station for travelling to and from London.

Consider.

  • Whittlesford Parkway to Stansted Airport takes twenty-six minutes by train.
  • There are two tph to and from Stansted Airport.
  • Given the station’s convenient position on the road network and the good train service to Stansted Airport, I suspect some Airport users will use the station as an alternative place to park.
  • It will certainly make a sensible drop off point for Stansted passengers and workers.

In my view, the only improvement needed, is a step-free bridge.

Audley End Station

Audley |End station is another station that is served by trains going between Stansted Airport and Cambridge and Norwich.

As the map shows, car parking is not as extensive.

Commuting From Audley End And Whittlesford Parkway To Norwich

C, my late wife was a barrister, who regularly drove to Norwich for a day in Court.

If there had been a train service between Whittlesford and Norwich, she might have used it.

But it does appear, that early morning services start from Cambridge.

Early And Late Trains Between Norwich and Stansted Airport

It appears to me, that that the timetable between Norwich and Stansted Airport may not start ealy enough and perhaps run late enough, given the hours that flights arrive and depart at the Airport.

Conclusion

This is going to be a worthwhile service, but I don’t think it is fully developed yet.

 

December 19, 2019 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

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