Does Sheffield Need A Super High Speed Line To London?
I ask this question because HS2 was put forward in the days, when brute force and high speed was the only way to get fast journey times.
In this article on the BBC, which is entitled HS2 South Yorkshire route change threatens new estate, the following is stated.
- 120 mins – Fastest existing Sheffield to London service
- 79 mins – Fastest Sheffield to London service via HS2
I have not seen any details as to how fast conventional trains could do Sheffield to London, but we do have some useful figures from the Great Eastern Main Line, which I wrote about in Could Class 387 Trains Do Norwich In Ninety And Ipswich In Sixty? I came to the conclusion that a 200 kph Aventra with modest track improvements could reduce the current 120 minutes to ninety.
Compare the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) with the Midland Main Line (MML)
The GEML is about 180 km long and fully electrified, with only two tracks except South of Shenfield and a 160 kph line speed.
The MML is about 250 km long and not electrified past Bedford, with generally more than two tracks and quite a bit of 200 kph running.
The MML has a lot of potential for improvement.
- In several places there is space to add extra tracks and improve junctions.
- A fully-developed Erewash Valley Line, could possibly be used as a higher-speed diversion, avoiding the line through the Derwent Valley, which is a World Heritage Site.
- The MML is currently being electrified.
- Modern electric trains with regenerative braking would speed stops on the MML.
- Some of the stations on the MML, could be rebuilt to speed trains through.
- This is just the sort of line for which the Digital Railway could have a large positive affect.
I feel that after the line is fully electrified and upgraded between London and Sheffield, that there could be a big improvement in journey times.
I do wonder if the revised plan for HS2 to serve Sheffield, , has come about because engineers have been able to devise a plan to improve the MML, that has created enough capacity from Clay Cross to Sheffield, to allow HS2 to share.
In HS2 Does The Right Thing In Sheffield, I postulated that if the MML from Clay Cross, where it bis joined by HS2 to Sheffield, were to be built to HS2 standards, when it was electrified, then this would have benefits for both lines.
- HS2 trains could approach Sheffield, using the sort of speed profile, they’d use into other stations.
- 200+ kph trains on the MML would knock a few minutes off schedules.
- Any extra tracks would probably fit on railway land.
- Chesterfield station could be rebuilt to accept HS2 trains.
There would be a large saving in costs, as only two tracks would be built. They would also be built when the MML is electrified.
We might not see trains on the classic route between London and Sheffield do the trip in the 79 minutes of HS2, but they would certainly be some minutes quicker than the two hours of today.
Help From The Germans
I want to go to Sudbury today, so to find the times of the trains, I tried to look them from Shenfield to Sudbury on the National Rail web site.
But the site was having an off day.
So I used the alternative of the Deutsche Bahn web site.
Shenfield To Sudbury By Deutsche Bahn
As you can see it worked. As it does with all European trains!
So if you want to go from Zaragosa to Geneva say, it will give you the route and details.
It even has Llanfairpwll station in the database and looking up the journey to there for Cologne, it even estimates twenty-five minutes for the walk between St. Pancras and Euston.
It is a very comprehensive free service.
An Ambitious Proposal For A New Train Service?
I don’t know Somerset at all, so I can’t judge the proposal for a new train service discussed in this article in the International Railway Journal.
This is the opening paragraph.
GO-OP, a British open-access operating organisation, has presented revised plans to introduce a new rail service from Taunton to Swindon from December 2017.
The route starts via the following stations on the Taunton to Reading Line
Then via the following stations on the Wessex Main Line.
Finally, there are these stations on the Great Western Main Line
Eventually the company aims to extend the service to Oxford, Banbury, Leaminton Spa, Kenilworth, Coventry and Nuneaton.
Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are my additions, but they lie on the route and Kenilworth is a new station opening in Summer 2017. That date now looks like Summer 2018!
I found the article, because they intend to start the service using a pair of Vivarail D-Trains, which would be replaced in 2019 by CAF Civity diesel multiple units.
It is an ambitious proposal, that creates a new cross-country route from Somerset to Warwickshire.
It is unusual in that most Open Access proposals are longer distance services radiating from London.
But commercially and railway-wise the two areas are similar.
- Both attract tourists and visitors.
- Both have a network or underused railways.
- Both are close to big dominating cities.
- Both are probably areas, where lots of new housing is being built.
I don’t know, but perhaps it will set a welcome precedent.
- Norfolk/Suffolk and Cheshire
- Lincoln and Lancashire.
- Cumbria and Derbyshire
- North Wales and Nottinghamshire.
Certainly the Digital Railway, the available of quality DMUs and bi-modes like the Class 769 train, new stations and ambitious councils will all help.
Will Chiltern Railways Get A Second London Terminus At Old Oak Common?
This article on the Rail Magazine web site is entitled Chilterns Route Study to tackle capacity challenges and it describes how Chiltern Railways may gain a second terminal in London at Old Oak Common, which would link to the following lines.
And that’s only for starters as a couple of Underground and other lines pass through the general area.
The full study on Network Rail’s web site is entitled West Midlands and Chilterns Route Study. This is said about Chiltern Railways.
The Chiltern Route provides an important commuter route into London with connections to the Underground.
- London continues to grow, and evolve with economic hubs expanding beyond the traditional City
- Growing towns with major housing development planned at Aylesbury, Bicester and Princes Risborough
- Marylebone Station is approaching its maximum capacity, in terms of train numbers and passengers
- Any expansion of Marylebone is likely to be expensive, and disruptive due to its constrained location.
The report suggests using Old Oak Common as an additional terminal, connected to the Chiltern route. It gives these benefits.
- Up to 4 additional trains per hour, with more travel options in to London.
- Access to HS2, Crossrail and Great West Main Line.
- Reduced cost and disruption compared to upgrading Marylebone.
The report is recommending building a new station at Old Oak Common, rather than upgrading Marylebone.
I think that this is a very sensible use of the space and existing railways in West London.
In Could A Chiltern Metro Be Created?, I looked at the lines between Marylebone and West Ruislip, where Chiltern Railways have ambition to create a Chiltern Metro. I said this.
I think Chiltern too, will make a bid to get into running services on the Greenford Branch and the Acton-Northolt Line, as it would give them a very useful destination in London of Old Oak Common.
Whatever happens, there will be some interesting rail developments involving Chiltern Railways in West London.
Old Oak Common Station And The Acton-Northolt Line
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines around Old Oak Common.
Old Oak Common Station And The Acton-Northolt Line
Note the West Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line go to the North and South respectively of the Old Oak Common site.
The line going to the West alongside the Central Line is the Acton-Northolt Line which links in the West to the Chiltern Main Line, just to the East of South Ruislip station.
This is the best map, I can find of the proposals for Old Oak Common station.
Rail Lines At Old Oak Common
And this map from carto.metro.free.fr shows roughly the same area.
Current Lines At Old Oak Common
The Acton-Northolt Line is currently single-track and without electrification or any stations, other than South Ruislip and West Ruislip after Northolt Junction, where it joins the Chiltern Main Line.
From following the line both on a Central Line train and on Google Maps, it would appear that restoring the Acton-Northolt Line to its original double-track should be possible.
With regard to electrification, as Old Oak Common station will be electrified for Crossrail, the North London Line and other lines, it would at least have power at one end.
The Current And Proposed Service Pattern
Wikipedia lists the current services, outside the peak from Marylebone on Chiltern as the following.
- 2 trains per hour (tph) to/from Birmingham (one fast, first stop Bicester North, and one semi-fast, first stop High Wycombe).
- 1tph to/from Banbury (semi-fast, first stop High Wycombe). Some extend to Stratford-upon-Avon.
- 1tph to/from Bicester North (semi-fast, first stop Gerrards Cross)
- 1tph to/from Princes Risborough (semi-fast, first stop Gerrards Cross)
- 1tph to/from High Wycombe (stopping service)
- 1tph to/from Gerrards Cross (stopping service)
- 2tph to/from Aylesbury (via Amersham). One of these services in each hour continues on to serve Aylesbury Vale Parkway
- 2tph to/from Oxford Parkway (fast)
So that is nine trains an hour through West Ruislip, two up the Aylesbury Line and eleven between Marylebone and Neasden.
The Network Rail report, is saying that another four trains per hour would run from Old Oak Common station, which would mean thirteen trains an hour through West Ruislip.
Where these four trains will go will be up to Chiltern, but I’m sure they’ll find the passengers to fill them.
Crossrail’s Loops And Branches Across London
Most people think of Crossrail, as an East-West railway under London serving the following places on its pair of branches in the East and the West.
- Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East.
- Heathrow and Reading in the West.
But it is more than that, as the East-West Crossrail can be considered to be part of a larger system that includes a number of North-South routes.
- Thameslink from St. Pancras to East Croydon via Farringdon on Crossrail.
- East Londson Line from Highbury and Islington to Canada Water via Whitechapel on Crossrail.
- West London Line from Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction via Old Oak Common on Crossrail.
- Bank Branch of the Northern Line from Camden Town to Kennington via Tottenham Court Road on Crossrail.
- Charing Cross Branch of the Northern Line from Camden Town to Battersea via Moorgate on Crossrail.
- Bakerloo Line from Willesden Junction to Elephant and Castle via Paddington on Crossrail.
Cross-London journeys will get interesting, as there will often be a dozen ways to go between A and B, when they are in different parts of London.
Kids will race each other across the City.
Crossrail will also grab a strong hold of other cross-London routes.
Central Line
Crossrail has interchanges with the Central Line at the following stations.
- Stratford
- Liverpool Street
- Tottenham Court Road
- Bond Street
- Ealing Broadway
The Central Line will add a loop to Crossrail from Stratford to Ealing Broadway.
People who live say near Queensway will use the Central Line to access the outer reaches of Crossrail., at Ealing Broadway and Stratford.
In Step-Free Interchanges In East London, I pointed out the excellent interchange between Crossrail and the Central Line at Stratford, which sadly is Crossrail’s only top quality interchange to other lines.
The interchanges with the Central Line in Central London would sappear to be very unadventurous. Only when the line is opened, will we know how well they work and the quality of the design.
Perhaps the only way to have got better interchanges would have been for one track of Crossrail to be each side of the Central Line, through Central London.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the section of Crossrail from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road.
Crossrail Through Central London
From this map it looks like it could be possible, but I know from this section in Wikipedia, that it was difficult squeezing the tunnels past the Northern Line at Tottenham Court Road, so perhaps the route that was chosen, was the best one from a construction and cost point of view. It could even have been the only one possible.
Metropolitan Line
Crossrail has interchanges with the Metropolitan Line at the following stations.
- Whitechapel
- Liverpool Street
- Moorgate
- Barbican
- Farringdon
- Paddington
The Metropolitan Line will add a loop to Crossrail from Whitechapel to Paddington. Although, due to the distance between the two lines at Paddington, this probably means the Metropolitan Line will serve as a North-Western branch of Crossrail, that serves Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the section of Crossrail from Whitechapel to Farringdon.
Crossrail Through The City
Note how two Crossrail stations; Liverpool Street-Moorgate and Barbican-Farringdon effectively each serve two Metropolitan stations.
Effectively, it gives a large choice of routes between North West London and East London and Essex.
Crossrail interchanges with the District Line at the following stations.
- Whitechapel
- Paddington
- Ealing Broadway
The District Line will add a loop to Crossrail from Whitechapel to Ealing Broadway, with a partial interchange at Paddington.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines around Paddington.
Crossrail Through Paddington
Crossrail would appear to have a good right-angled connection with the District Line, between Edgware Road and Wimbledon.
So it could be argued that after Crossrail opens, the Edgware Road to Wimbledon service of the District Line is another North-South branch of Crossrail, just like with Thameslink and the East London Line.
North London Line
Crossrail interchanges with the following stations on the North London Line.
- Stratford
- Old Oak Common
The North London Line will add a loop to Crossrail from Stratford to Old Oak Common.
Jubilee Line
Crossrail interchanges with the following stations on the Jubilee Line.
- Stratford
- Bond Street
The Jubilee Line will add a loop to Crossrail from Stratford to Bond Street.
The Stations On The Loops
The effect of all these loops, mean that these stations will be on a line that connects to both ends of Crossrail.
- Acton Town
- Aldgate East
- Baker Street
- Bank
- Baron’s Court
- Bermondsey
- Bethnal Green
- Blackfriars
- Brondesbury
- Brondesbury Park
- Caledonian Road and Barnesbury
- Camden Road
- Canada Water
- Canning Town
- Cannon Street
- Canonbury
- Chancery Lane
- Chiswick Park
- Dalston Kinsland
- Ealing Common
- Earl’s Court
- East Acton
- Edgware Road
- Embankment
- Euston Square
- Finchley Road And Frognal
- Gospel Oak
- Gloucester Road
- Great Portland Street
- Hackney Central
- Hackney Wick
- Hammersmith
- Hampstead Heath
- Highbury and Islington
- Holborn
- Hommerton
- Kensal Rise
- Kentish Town West
- Kings Cross St. Pancras
- Lancaster Gate
- London Bridge
- Mansion House
- Marble Arch
- Mile End
- Monument
- North Greenwich
- Notting Hill Gate
- Oxford Circus
- Queensway
- Ravenscourt Park
- St. James’s Park
- St. Paul’s
- Shepherd’s Bush
- Sloane Square
- South Kensington
- Southwark
- Stamford Brook
- Temple
- Tower Hill
- Turnham Green
- Victoria
- Waterloo
- Westminster
- West Acton
- West Ham
- West Hampstead
- West Kensington
- White City
- Willesden Junction
The list may be impressive, even without stations on the North-South lines, but it has consequences.
- Ealing Broadway could see a lot of interchange traffic between Crossrail and the Central and |District Lines. Is it up to the task?
- Stratford and Whitechapel will see a lot of interchange traffic between Crossrail and other lines. These two stations have been designed for it.
- The Victoria Line is difficult to access. However, it is only a short walk from the Hanover Square entrance to Bond Street Crossrail station.
- The Piccadilly Line is difficult to access.
I suspect that as at Oxford Circus, there will be small schemes in several places to create connectivity.
Kings Cross St. Pancras is a big problem as it is a mass of long tunnels, but Crossrail and Thameslink will give passengers the chance to avoid it.
- If you’re on Crossrail and want to go North on the Victoria or Piccadilly Lines, I suspect that it would be easier to take Thameslink to Finsbury Park, where you can dive into the Underground.
- If you’re on Crossrail and want to go South on the Victoria Line, the quickest way might be change to the Bakerloo at Paddington and then walk across the platform to the Victoria Line at Oxford Circus.
But whatever route you take in a few years time, won’t be the obvious one today.
Extra Connectivity
There are various projects either under construction, planned or proposed, that would increase Crossrail’s reach.
- The Hall Farm Curve linking Walthamstow and Chingford to Stratford.
- The rebuilding of Bank, Camden Town, Highbury and Islington and other stations.
- The Northern Line Extension to Battersea.
- The Bakerloo Line Extension.
- The Greenford Branch is being improved.
- The re-signalling of London Underground’s sub-surface lines.
- The four-tracking of the West Anglia Main Line in preparation for Crossrail 2.
- The adding of a Central Line station at Shoreditch High Street.
- Extensions to the Docklands Light Railway.
- Old Oak Common will become more and more important with connections to the West Coast Main Line, HS2 and the Chiltern Main Line.
- Increases in frequency on the Victoria Line, Jubilee Line, Sub-Surface Lines, the Northern City Line and the Overground.
I do think though we could see a few surprises.
- There have been proposals to extend the Waterloo and City Line for years. Modern tunnelling and innovative train concepts might allow a shuttle between Waterloo and Crossrail at Liverpool Street.
- As the City of London wants to cut traffic in the Square Mile, what will they do?
- Will Oxford Street finally become traffic free?
- Will Manor House and Harringay Green Lanes be reorganised?
- Crossrail has seen some interesting concepts developed for building lift and escalator tunnels, which will be used again and again.
- Crossrail will be extended to somewhere not mentioned before.
I have a feeling that Crossrail 2 won’t be so urgent.
Step-Free Interchanges In East London
This map from carto.metro.free,fr shows the lines around where I live, which can be best described as a post code of N1.
Lines Around N1
I live halfway on the diagonal line between Dalston Kingsland and Essex Road stations. Years ago, there used to be a station at Mildmay Park, between Dalston Kingsland and Csnonbury, which if it still existed would be very useful for me, as it would be about a hundred and fifty metres away.
So my journeys often start from one of the half dozen bus routes, that have stops within fifty metres or so of where I live.
- I’ll take a 38, 30, 56 or 277 to Dalston Kingsland or Dalston Junction stations for the North London Line and East London Line respectively.
- I’ll take a 141 to Manor House station for the Piccadilly Line.
- I’ll take a 38 or 56 bus to Essex Road station for the Northern City Line
- I’ll take a 38 or 56 bus to Angel station for the Northern Line.
- I’ll take a 21 or 141 bus to Moorgate for the Metropolitan and Circle Lines
- I’ll take a 21 or 141 bus to London Bridge for main line trains.
- I’ll take a 21 or 141 bus to Bank for the Central and Waterloo and City Lines
- I’ll take a 56 bus to St. Paul’s for the Central Line
- I’ll take 30 bus to Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston for main line trains.
Who said the three most important things when buying a house, are location, location and location?
Strangely, I rarely go directly to Highbury and Islington station, as the station is one of the worst in London for passenger convenience, with long and crowded tunnels and no step-free access to the deep tunnels.
If I need to go North on the Victoria Line, I will sometimes go to Essex Road and then take the Northern City Line for one stop to Highbury and Islington station, where there is a step-free level interchange to the Victoria Line.
There are several of these interchanges in East London, making train and tube travel easier.
Northern City And Victoria Lines At Highbury And Islington Station
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the layout of lines at the station.
Note how the two Northbound lines and the two Southbound lines of the Victoria and Northern City Lines are paired, so that passengers can just walk through one of several short tunnels that connect the two platforms.
This connection will get more important in the future, as improvements will bring more passengers through the interchange.
- Highbuty and Islington station will be rebuilt, with access to the deep level platforms much improved.
- If traffic said it was needed, the Southbound and Northbound deep-level platforms, which are not far apart might even be connected together and to a second entrance on the other side of Holloway Road.
- The Northern City Line is getting new Class 717 trains, which will give an increase in capacity and I believe that the frequency on the Northern City Line will improve to 6, 8 or even 10 trains per hour (tph), thus making my ducking and diving easier.
- The Northern City Line will connect to Crossrail and for the first time N1 to lots of places, will be one change at Moorgate from the Northern City Line to Crossrail.
- The Victoria Line will increase in frequency to possibly 40 tph and benefit from station improvements at stations like Tottenham Hale, Blackhorse Road and Walthamstow Central.
It should also be noted how the Crossrail connection at Moorgate will help me.
When going to football at Ipswich, I may walk to Essex Road and then get a train to Moorgate, where I will take Crossrail to perhaps Shenfield for a fast train to Ipswich.
But who knows what I’ll do, as there will be several different routes, all of which will have their advantages?
East London Line To North London Line At Highbury And Islington Station
This is only from the East London Line trains arriving from West Croydon in Platform 2 at Highbury and Islington station to Westbound trains on the North London Line in Platform 7.
Although not as powerful as the double interchange at Highbury and Islington station between the Victoria and Northern City Lines, it is typical of well-thought out connections all over the Overground.
Piccadilly And Victoria Lines At Finsbury Park Station
This is a cross-platform interchange, that is heavily used as effectively it gives a simple choice of route through Central London for passengers from the Northern ends of the Piccadilly and Northern Lines. It’s a pity that the interchange between the two lines at Kings Cross St Pancras and Green Park aren’t as simple.
Metropolitan/District And Central Lines At Mile End Station
This picture gives a flavour of the interchange at Mile End station.
Cross-Platform Interchange At Mile End Station
It is a cross-platform interchange, that I use more and more, to go to the East on the Central Line. I usually arrive on a Metropolitan/District Line train from Whitechapel station, which is just a few stops down the East London Line.
Central Line And Shenfield Metro/Crossrail At Stratford Station
This interchange at Stratford station is going to be an integral part of Crossrail, as it will firmly connect the new line to the Central Line, with advantages to both.
This picture shows the interchange on the Eastbound platform.
Central Line To Shenfield Metro/Crossrail Interchange
This interchange is certainly well-used and Crossrail will only increase that use.
Why Is This Not Done More Often?
These interchanges seem to work well!
But what always puzzles me, is why this layout is not used more often. And I don’t just mean in London. In all my travels, I can’t remember getting off a train in Europe and just walking across the platform to get a metro or a tram.
I suspect it could be because to get this type of interchange, you need to build some expensive railway infrastructure.
All of the examples I have given concern where a new line is being added to an existing network.
I am surprised that Crossrail doesn’t use a similar interchange anywhere else on its route.
Look at the Crossrail stations I documented in How Are Crossrail’s Eastern Stations Progressing?
In all stations, the Crossrail and fast lines are in pairs, whereas to get Cross-platform interchange between fast and stopping services, probably needs a different layout. That is not the fault of Crossrail, but the way the Great Eastern Main Line was built decades ago.
At the London end of the East Coast Main Line, the two slow lines are on either side of the two fast lines. At Stevenage, they have put two island platforms between the slow and fast lines, so that passengers have a cross-platform interchange between trains.
Stevenage Station
The Google Map clearly shows the layout.
How Are Crossrail’s Eastern Stations Progressing?
I took a train to Shenfield and back again, taking pictures on the way.
Before discussing the stations, it is worth reading this extract, from the Wikipedia entry for the Great Eastern Main Line.
The GER was grouped in 1923 into the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). In 1931/32 the LNER quadrupled the tracks to Shenfield which became the terminus for inner-suburban operation.
In the 1930s a flyover was constructed just west of Ilford to switch the main and electric lines over, to enable main line trains to utilise Liverpool Street’s longer west side platforms without having to cross east side suburban traffic in the station throat. The new arrangement also facilitated cross-platform interchange with the Central line at Stratford, with services commencing in 1946. Either side of the Ilford flyover there are single-track connections between each pair of lines, with the westbound track extending to Manor Park and just beyond. The eastbound track extends as far as Ilford station. It was also envisaged that a flyover would be built at the country-end of the carriage sidings at Gidea Park to allow trains bound for the Southend line to change from the main line to the electric line, instead of at the London-end of Shenfield as they do now.
Plans were drawn up in the 1930s to electrify the suburban lines from Liverpool Street to Shenfield at 1500 V DC and work was started on implementing this. However, the outbreak of the Second World War brought the project to a temporary halt and it was not until 1949 that the scheme was completed with electrification being extended to Chelmsford in 1956.
So it could be said that the quadrupling of the tracks to Shenfield, was the legacy of Sir Nigel Gresley and his team, that has enabled Crossrail to be easily extended to the East.
I suspect that Crossrail’s engineers, regret that the flyover at Gidea Park, as proposed in the LNER plans, was never built. It would have helped one of Crossrail’s problems and that is how you fit two Southend trains per hour, that call at Stratford, Romford, Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Brentwood, Shenfield and then all stations to Southend Victoria into Crossrail’s eight trains per hour schedule. I wouldn’t be surprised if Southend Victoria becomes an extra terminal for Crossrail, that receives four trains per hour.
On the other hand, the foresight of Gresley’s team would appear to have led to one of the most powerful features of Crossrail in the East, which will be the cross-platform interchange between the new line and the Central Line.
This 1930s rebuild also explains, why the stations have .a solid feel of the first half of the twentieth century, which means that some of the stations although needing a lot of work, are solid underneath and all seem to be capable of upgrading, rather than needing the substantial rebuilding of some of the stations in the West.
Summing up the stations, you would say the following.
Shenfield
Shenfield station is already fully step-free.
- The station building probably just needs sprucing up.
- The platforms all seem to be long enough, as Platforms 1, 2 and 3 take twelve-car Class 360 trains and Class 321 trains.
- Platforms 4 and 5 aren’t much shorter, but may need to be lengthened, especially as trains will go through the station to new Eastern sidings.
- The space for the new Platform 6 has been created, but work is continuing on the platform and track.
- Work on the track is also continuing to update the electrification to a modern standard and the two western sidings that Crossrail trains will use.
Given that a proportion of passengers will probably want to interchange between Crossrail, services up and down the Great Eastern Main Line and to and from Southend Victoria, I do wonder, if there will be a reorganisation of stopping patterns for the longer distance services between Shenfield and London.
The works at Shenfield station, would appear to be taking a well-built mainly 1930s station and turning it into a terminus for Crossrail able to handle up to twelve trains per hour and an interchange with services to Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich, Southend and all points to the North and East of East Anglia.
Brentwood
Brentwood station has a lot of work completed or underway.
- The station office seems to have been refurbished.
- There are only lifts to the central Platforms 2 and 3.
- Platform extensions to all four platforms are underway.
- The bridge seems to be being refurbished rather than replaced.
I can find no references to lifts for Platform 1 and 4.
The works at Brentwood station would appear to be much simpler than Shenfield, but from the look of the new entrance and the visualisation in the Brentwood station web page on the Crossrail web site, they will create a very capable two platform station for Crossrail.
Harold Wood
Harold Wood station has a lot of work completed or underway.
- A new bridge has been installed, but not completed.
- Lifts are to be installed.
- Platform extensions to all four platforms are underway.
- The platform buildings seem to have been refurbished.
I would also assume that the station office will be refurbished.
The works at Harold Wood station, show that it will be good station, with a good interchange between Crossrail and services on the fast lines.
But why is there such a good interchange between the two sets of lines? Is it just because Brentford is not a full interchange?
Or is it so that the services to and from Southend Victoria can still call??
Gidea Park
Gidea Park station is very much a work in progress.
- A new bridge is being built with lifts under the largest plastic umbrella in London.
- Platform extensions to all four platforms are underway.
- The platform buildings seem to have been refurbished.
The works at Gidea Park station will create another good station, that has an excellent step-free interchange between Crossrail and the fast lines.
I must ask the same questions as I did for Harold Wood.
Romford
Romford station doesn’t appear to be seeing much work yet.
According to the Romford station page on the Crossrail web site, this is being done.
- A substantially improved ticket hall with revised entrances
- Three new lifts for step-free access to platforms
- Platform extensions to accommodate the new 200 metre long Crossrail trains.
This is obviously in addition to revised and improved signage, help points and seating.
Romford station from the pictures looks to be a solid station with nice period features, with some excellent marble and quality ironwork.
Chadwell Heath
Chadwell Heath station is very much on the way to be ready.
- A new footbridge has been built and commissioned.
- Platform extension work is underway.
- A turnback siding has been built east of the station.
I didn’t check out the actual station building, but this web page from Crossrail has a visualisation.
Goodmayes
Goodmayes station is in the process of being updated.
- The current footbridge is being updated.
- Three lifts will be added to provide step-free access to all platforms.
- The station building is being rebuilt.
- Platform extension work is underway.
The works at Goodmayes station will create a good suburban station, by building on the existing station office and footbridge.
Seven Kings
Seven Kings station is going through refurbishment.
- Lifts will be added
- The station building looks like it will be substantially rebuilt.
- The area outside the station will be improved.
From the pictures, it does appear that the station is one of the few with a picnic table outside.
Ilford
Ilford station is scheduled to be completely rebuilt according to the Ilford station page on the Crossrail web site.
- A new spacious, modern and bright station building on Cranbrook Road
- A larger ticket hall with simplified ticket facilities and larger gate-line
- A full refurbishment, by Transport for London, of the York Mews entrance
- New lifts for platforms 1, 2/3, and 4
- Platform extensions to accommodate the new 200 metre long Elizabeth line trains.
Only the platform extension seems to be starting.
At least the visualisation on the Crossrail web site seems promising, with a large pedestrianised area in front of the station.
Arriving At Ilford Station
This picture was taken from the right and shows the current traffic in the area.
In Front Of Ilford Station Now
As with Romford, the station is right in the middle of the shopping area.
Manor Park
Manor Park station is undergoing refurbishment. This is said about the station in Wikipedia.
Manor Park will be fully served by Crossrail from 2019 but part of the route is scheduled to open in 2017 and new Class 345 trains will enter service. Platforms 1 and 2 are only 168 metres (184 yd) and 185 metres (202 yd) long respectively and cannot physically be extended to accommodate the new trains, which will be over 200 metres (220 yd) in length, so selective door operation will be utilised. The freight loop around platform 1 is due to be removed and replaced by a new loop line further down-line, west of Chadwell Heath.
Due to the narrow platforms and the layout of the station, fitting lifts for disabled access would be difficult, requiring the walkways to be rebuilt and closing parts of the station for several months. The station will receive new ticket machines and gates, an accessible toilet and new retail space.
As the Manor Park web page on the Crossrail web site, says new lifts will be installed, I suspect this station will face several months of closures.
Given its location by the Southern end of Epping Forest, I do wonder, if it could be a Crossrail station with a walking and picnic area close by. This Google Map shows the station and the green space to the North.
North Of Manor Park Station
As the area is mainly controlled by the City of London and there are also two large cemeteries, I suspect that any development will be totally appropriate. I suspect too that there are a lot of walks through the area to stations on the Central and Gospel Oak to Barking Lines.
An Illustration Of East Anglia’s Rail Problems
This article in Rail Magazine is entitled More capacity for Anglia with second locomotive hauled set.
It describes how Abellio Greater Anglia is hiring in two Class 68 locomotives and a rake of three Mark 2 coaches, to maintain services after one of its Class 170 diesel multiple units, was badly damaged in a crash with a tractor at a level crossing in April. There are more details of this in this story on ITV, which is entitled Train carrying 135 passengers crashes at level crossing.
The hiring in of two-brand new locomotives can’t be a very affordable option, but it just illustrates that there is no spare stock available. If say a major bus company needs extra capacity for a big event, contingency plans probably mean a fleet is rustled up from somewhere.
So why isn’t there a pool of say refurbished diesel multiple units available? Most old diesel multiple units are probably only fit for scrap, when they are retired and I doubt any Government since railway nationialisation in 1948, would have allowed train companioes to have a central pool for emergencies.
But the real cause of this particular problem, is the old East Anglian one of level crossings. And a lot of those in East Anglia have trains passing at over 75 mph.
Intriguingly, in The New Trains Arriving In East Anglia, if I got it right that the Breckland Line between Cambridge and Norwich is going to run four- or even eight-car 100 mph electric trains with an IPEMU capability, then something must be done about these level crossings. The infrastructure has already been updated with new signalling and track improvements, but obviously this private level crossing was still being used.
The New Trains Arriving In East Anglia
This article in the Derby Telegraph is entitled Derby workers on tenterhooks over contract worth BILLIONS. (Note the newspaper’s capitals!)
It states that the new East Anglian Franchise could be announced tomorrow, as it is supposed to be settled in June, and that the order for new trains is between Bombardier and Siemens.
I can’t believe that given the current Euro-turmoil in the country, that Siemens will be given this order.
I think that we can assume that based on London Overgroun’s contract for Class 710 trains, where this is said.
In July 2015 TfL announced that it had placed a £260m order for 45 4-car Bombardier Aventra EMUs
That a new four-car Aventra train will cost around £6million. I would suspect that Siemens Desiro City would probably be around the same price.
So for a billion pounds, you would get around a hundred and thirty trains.
As I said in Could Class 387 Trains Do Norwich In Ninety And Ipswich In Sixty?, one twelve-car Class 387 train, could fulfil the franchise requirement of two fast trains a day on the Great Eastern Main Line in both directions. It might even be possible to deliver it, early in 2017, now that it appears production of Class 387 trains might be able to continue.
The Derby Telegragh article talks about Aventra trains, but unlike Class 387 trains, these would not be available until probably 2019, at the earliest.
But Aventras for the flagship London-Ipswich-Norwich route could be delivered with all or part of this specification.
- Up to twelve-cars.
- Walk-through capability. Thameslink’s Bedford to Brighton serrvice will be like this, so why not?
- A specially-design business- and commuter-friendly interior.
- 125 mph capability to give all services Norwich in Ninety and Ipswich in Sixty.
- A buffet car could be provided.
- An IPEMU capability, so a direct Yarmouth service could be introduced.
Some might mourn the passing of the much-loved and well-used Mark 3 coaches, but the Great Eastern Main Line would have one of the best commuting trains in Europe.
I estimate that six sets would be needed to provide two trains per hour in 90 minutes between Norwich and London.
Currently, they have sixteen sets with eight coaches.
If the trains had an IPEMU-capability, which is possible, but of course hasn’t been announced, these trains could also work Norwich to London via the Breckland Line and the West Anglia Main Line, serving Thetford, Ely, the new Cambridge North, Cambridge and Tottenham Hale. Currently, this route would take just under three hours with a change at Cambridge. What time a 125 mph electric train could manage, is pure speculation, but a time of two and a half is probably possible, with some track improvements on the route.
So could we see the current hourly, Norwich to Cambridge service on this route, serving Cambridge North and extended to London? It would give advantages to passengers, the operator and Network Rail.
- The improved connectivity between Cambridge and Norwich would spread the benefits of the Fenland Powerhouse to Norwich and Norfolk.
- Norfolk would get a third direct route to the capital, after the Great Eastern Main Line and the Fen Line.
- Norwich services would have a same platform interchange to Thameslink at one or possibly both Cambridge stations.
- One of the Northern bay platforms at Cambridge would be used more efficiently, as most Norwich services would be through trains.
- The trains could be identical or very similar to those serving the Great Eastern Main Line.
- The route would be available as a diversionary route between Norwich and London, should the |Great Eastern Main Line be closed.
- There would be no major electrification needed.
To provide an hourly service, I think that three trains will be needed.
The Great Eastern Main Line to Ipswich and the western route to Ely, have platforms long enough for twelve-car trains. North from Ipswich, they can certainly take ten-car trains, as that is the effective length of the current stock.
So will the stock be eight- or twelve-car trains? It could be either, with perhaps some platform lengthening on the western route.
The minimum number of trains would be six for the Great Eastern Main Line and three for the western route. It would probably be prudent to call it ten trains.
I think adding in a bit extra for 125 mph and IPEMU-capabilities and a custom interior, that prices could be of the order of.
- £20million for an eight-car train or £200million for ten.
- £30million for a twelve-car train or £300million for ten.
That’s not billions!
Shorter units of perhaps four-car or eight-car formations with an IPEMU-capability, could run the following routes.
- Ipswich to Cambridge
- Ipswich to Ely and Peterborough.
- Ipswich to Lowestoft, if some form of charging could be provided at Lowestoft.
Four trains of eight-cars for these Ipswich-based routes, would be another £80million.
Still not billions!
This leads me to the conclusion, that a large number of other electric trains in the franchise will be replaced.
- I believe for Norwich in Ninety, all trains north of Colchester need to have a 110 mph-capability or better.
- Some trains are very tired, dated and lack capacity.
- Some could have an IPEMU-capability for working the branch lines that don’t have electrification.
In the present franchise there are the following trains working the Great Eastern Main Line and the West Anglia Main Line
All are of four cars.
If all except the nearly-new Class 379 trains, were replaced with Aventras, that would cost about £950million including the IPEMUs for the branch lines.
I think that if they can develop a sensible way of charging trains at Lowestoft, Sherringham and Yarmouth, this would give the following advantages.
- Every train would be a new or nearly-new electric multiple unit.
- Some trains would have an IPEMU capability to handle lines without electrification.
- Every train would be able to use regenerative braking to save energy.
- There would be a large increase in capacity.
- Most services would be faster and not just Norwich and Ipswich to London.
- New trains into Southend to compete with c2c.
- Trains would be available to serve the new Cambridge North station.
- A possible London to Lowestoft service could be run.
- .Services between Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough could be increased.
- March to Wisbech could be added to the network.
- Diversionary routes from Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough to London have been created.
- No new electrification of a substantial nature.
- Some quality diesel trains would be released to other operators.
As I indicated earlier, if it was decided to fulfil the requirements of Norwich in Ninety and Ipswich in Sixty, early in the franchise, this could be done with some Class 387 trains.
If this happens, it will be a substantial improvement on the current service.
East Anglia will have been totally-electrified for passenger services, with all the electrification being done in a new, modern factory in Derby.
I don’t know what will happen, but unless something like this does, I can’t see how Bombardier will get the order for billions of pounds of new trains, as reported in the Derby Telegraph.
Engineering is the science of the possible!
Bermondsey Dive-Under – 27th June 2016
In A First Ride On A Class 700 Train, I went past the Bermondsey Dive-Under.
Progress seems to be continuing.I just wonder what is going to be built between the dive-under and the line on which my train was running.
I’m sure Network Rail have got viable plans.
The Anonymous Widower 