Will It Be All Systems Go For The Ordsall Curve?
This article in Rail Technology Magazine is entitled Court of Appeal dismisses Ordsall Chord legal challenge and it talks about Mark Whitby’s fight to stop the Ordsall Chord being built.
This is said.
A legal appeal following the dismissal of a challenge to the process for granting permission for the Ordsall Chord has been dismissed.
The Court of Appeal today upheld a ruling to dismiss a challenge from Mark Whitby, former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The Court dismissed all three appeals made by Whitby against the decision of Lang J in the Mrs Justice Beverley Lang: two statutory challenges of the Transport and Works Act order and of the Listed Building Consent, and a judicial review of the planning permission. The Court of Appeal will hand down its judgement early in the new term, after Easter.
I hope this is the end of it, and work can proceed on the much-needed new infrastructure.
But I suppose there’s always the Supreme and European Courts!
I am a Londoner and one thing puzzles me about this case. If say in London, there was an argument about such a piece of infrastructure, those making the fuss would be local people, as they are in Chelsea and Wimbledon over Crossrail 2. In all the reports on the Ordsall Chord, the councils, politicians and the media seem to be in favour and only one lone person is against.
This article in Building gives an insight into Mark Whitby.
Could Crossrail 2 Go To Grays?
This article in Your Thurrock is entitled Is Crossrail about to stop at all stations in Thurrock?
It talks about a branch of Crossrail 2 going East from a junction between Angel and Dalston stations calling at Hackney Central, Stratford International, East Ham and Barking, before taking over the c2c routes to Basildon and Grays.
This map is provided.
Possible Crossrail 2 Eastern Branch
The red section is new track, which would need to be in tunnel as far as East Ham.
Connectivity Of The Route
The route would appear to tidy up a lot of the connectivity problems in East London.
- Stratford International station will be properly connected to London’s local rail network, instead of by a sizeable walk through Eastfield.
- The Western parts of Essex between Upminster and Grays, which will see a lot of much-needed new housing built in the next few years, get a much better rail connection to Central London.
- c2c services get a new excellent connection to Central London at Barking, which by-passes the inaccessible Fenchurch Street.
- Hackney gets its own direct connection to Central London.
And of course there will be a large increase in capacity with 200m. long trains to Basildon and Grays.
Stratford International Station
Stratford International station has never been properly connected to London’s local rail network.
At present, it is only really a domestic station for Southeastern’s HighSpeed services to Kent and some have branded it a white elephant.
With more and more international services likely to run into London, I think it is only a matter of time, before Stratford International gets some international services.
The Future Of c2c To Central London
If c2c services to Basildon and Grays are replaced with higher capacity Crossrail 2 services, does this have repercussions for c2c services.
- Basildon station currently has four trains an hour going between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness.
- Grays station has four trains per hour to Fenchurch Street and two to Southend Central.
This says to me that there might be scope to simplify the pattern of c2c services.
Fenchurch Street Station
This Google Map shows Fenchurch Street station.
Fenchurch Street Station
Note Tower Gateway station on the DLR and Tower Hill station on the District and Circle Lines, to the South of the lines into Fenchurch Street.
The site must be worth a fortune in the City of London and could surely be redeveloped.
- It could have enough capacity to provide four trains per hour to Southend and/or Shoeburyness.
- If the Docklands Light Railway terminus was moved alongside the new station, it might be possible to extend the DLR to Charring Cross station, as has been proposed
- It could have direct connectivity to Tower Hill station.
- There would obviously be a lot of offices on top.
Could it be, that one of the drivers of linking Crossrail 2 to c2c services is to enable the Fenchurch Street station site to be redeveloped?
Hackney Central to Stratford International
This Google Map shows the area between Hackney Central and Stratford International stations.
Crossrail 2 – Hackney Central to Stratford International
Hackney Central station is at the extreme left of the map and Stratford International station is north of the Olympic Stadium.
At least the engineers know it is good tunnelling country as there is already a large pair of tunnels between the two stations – High Speed One.
Stratford International to Barking
This Google Map shows the area between Stratford International and Barking.
Crossrail 2 – Stratford International to Barking
Barking is at the extreme East of the map.
The Surface Route From East Ham to Barking
This Google Map shows the surface lines between East Ham and Barking stations.
Crossrail 2 – East Ham to Barking
East Ham station is in the South West corner and Barking station is in the South East corner. The large structure on the railway by the park is c2c’s East Ham Depot.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines through East Ham and Barking.
East Ham to Barking Lines
The engineers also have a lot of choice as to where Crossrail 2 can emerge to join the surface network.
Conclusions
It certainly seems to be a feasible route through East London, that effectively gives Crossrail 2, two eastern termini.
I also think, that it could release the Fenchurch Street site for redevelopment with perhaps a smaller station with four trains per hour to Southend Central, good connections to the Underground and the DLR and lots of offices on top.
That would help to pay for the extension.
Along The Marshlink Line
After writing Will We See IPEMUS in Hastings?, I thought it would be a good idea to see, if there were any other reasons, why running longer IPEMUs on the Marshlink Line would be a good idea.
So I took a Class 395 train from St. Pancras International station to Ashford International station along High Speed One.
From Ashford International, I took the Marshlink Link to Hastings station, in one of the services run by Southern using Class 171 trains.
These are my observations from the trip.
Class 171 Trains
These are two-car modern diesel multiple units with a top speed of 160 kph and they can be coupled together to make longer trains.
They are totally adequate for the current service between Ashford International and Brighton via Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne and Lewes.
Class 387 Trains With An IPEMU Capability
I believe that if battery trains or IPEMUs are used to provide an electric service on the Marshlink Line, that only Class 387 trains can be delivered in a reasonable timescale.
- The Class 387 train is a cousin of the Class 379 train, which was used to create the demonstrator.
- The Class 387 train is a four-car 175 kph train, that can be run in 4, 8 or 12 car formations.
- The capability of the train on battery power, would be more than adequate to go between Ashford International and Hastings.
- There are over twenty Class 387 trains in service, that will start to be replaced this year with new Class 700 trains.
- Another twenty trains are on order for Porterbrook.
- Because of the late delivery of the Great Western electrification, quite a few trains have no home to go to.
- Southern are very familiar with Class 387 trains.
The main thing that would need to be done, would be to add an appropriate battery pack to the number of trains needed for a Brighton to Ashford or St. Pancras service.
As a battery pack was designed over a year ago, I’m sure Bombardier have this under control.
This article in Rail Technology Magazine, talks about how Bombardier are doing extensive tests on battery systems in Mannheim.
Ashford International Station
This Google Map shows the various lines through Ashford International station.
Lines Around Ashford International Station
Note.
- High Speed One goes through the station calling at the long island platforms 3 and 4, or on the flyover, as appropriate.
- The Ashford to Ramsgate Line goes off to the North East.
- The Marshlink Line goes south alongside the white teardrop, which is the Ashford Designer Outlet.
There are three alternatives for Marshlink Line trains.
- Currently, trains from the Marshlink Line terminate in Platform 1. This could continue.
- Trains could go to and from London on High Speed 1
- Trains could go to and from London on classic lines.
I suppose there could be a mixture of all three.
I don’t know if it is possible to run trains between High Speed One and the Marshlink Line, but I can’t believe that it would be impossible to arrange, as Network Rail have mentioned Hastings to St. Pancras services via High Speed One in some of their reports.
Ham Street Station
Ham Street station is a simple affair on a double-track section, with two staggered platforms.
I took these pictures of the station.
This is a Google Map of the station.
Ham Street Station
it would appear that quite a few houses have been built recently.
The station doesn’t appear to be of the same quality as the houses.
Appledore Station
This Google Map shows the Appledore station.
Appledore Station
It is simple affair, with very few houses locally.
- Appledore itself is two miles away.
- It has two staggered platforms.
- There is a level crossing.
- There is no footbridge.
South of the station the line becomes single-track and the Dungeness Branch goes off to Dungeness and Lydd.
Dungeness
A proportion of the freight traffic on the Marshlink Line serves the Dungeness Nuclear Power Station using the Dungeness Branch.
The Google Map shows the area of Dungeness.
Dungeness
At one time, the line had several stations including one at Dungeness.
Other than the power station, there is just a few houses, Lydd Airport, a nature reserve and a few tourist attractions like the iconic Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
The only other things that could effect the area, is a possible building of Dungeness C Nuclear Power Station and other energy related developments, like a cross-Channel energy link or support for wind turbines.
So to say that the Dungeness Branch will never be developed with a passenger train service, is a bit like saying human beings will never set foot on Mars.
I’ve never been down to Dungeness, although C flew to Beauvais near Paris in the 1960s from the Airport using an airline called Skyways (?).
Rye Station
Rye station is the only substantial station on the unelectrified part of the Marshlink Line.
This Google Map shows the station.
I visited Rye in 2015 and wrote Lunch At Rye, where I found it a charming little town, lacking in information.
The station has a passing loop, a footbridge and a booking office, and it probably would need little work for longer trains.
However, there was evidence of general tidying up and the relaying of track.
Evidence Of Work At Rye
In fact, this was virtually the only work, that I saw anywhere on the Marshlink Line.
Winchelsea, Doleham And Three Oaks Stations.
Of these three stations, we only stopped at Winchelsea station.
Except for well-maintained single platform, there is not much there.
Doleham and Three Oaks stations are also fairly basic, with Three Oaks only able to handle a single carriage.
From Ore To Hastings
Ore station is the next station after Three Oaks and it is fully electrified from the station all the way to Eastbourne and Brighton.
An Article In Rye News
This article in Rye News is entitled More give than take on Marshlink, was written by Stuart Harland who is chairman of the Marsh Link Action Group.
It gives a summary of the work needed to allow Class 395 trains to Bexhill.
As we know from the Network Rail presentation to MLAG last year, the physical issues to be resolved are:
- electrification of the Marshlink line
- signalling at Bexhill;
- remodelling of the track layout at Ashford;
- the dualling/ passing loop at Rye
- the two level crossings at East Guldeford where input is awaited from the Highways Agency to remove the need for two level crossings on the A259
All of this needs funding, as do the additional Javelin units built by Hitachi.
So how does using Class 387 trains with an IPEMU capability affect this list.
- Electrification of the Marshlink Line would not be needed.
- The signalling at Bexhill, can already handle eight-car Electrostars, like the Class 387 train, so I would assume modifications would be simpler, if at all.
- The remodelling of the track layout at Ashford would only need to connect Platforms 1 and 2 to High Speed One.
- The passing loop at Rye seems capable of accepting two four-car Class 171 Turbostar trains, which are closely related to Class 387 Electrostar trains.
- The level crossing problems would remain, but the speeds could be kept to those used now.
- New trains would not need to be purchased from Hitachi.
In addition, there would need to be work done to make sure that all stations and signalling on the Marshlink Line could accept the length of train, that Southern want to run between |St. Pancras and Hastings.
Conclusion
Class 387 IPEMUs could easily provide service on the Marshlink Line and the cost of the work would be very much reduced compared to using Class 395 Javelin trains, with the biggest expense probably being adding the battery packs to the Class 387 trains.
Liverpool’s Railways Get A Makeover
Unlike some places, which are getting major new stations or lines on their rail networks, Liverpool is getting a package of smaller projects according to this article on the BBC.
- New and longer platforms at Lime Street station, with upgraded signalling equipment. This will enable longer trains and more frequent services
- Renewing tracks on the Merseyrail underground loop
- Laying additional track between Huyton and Roby – this will enable faster services between Liverpool and the east
- Building a new station at Maghull North – between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations
- Newton-le-Willows station will be improved
- New Liverpool-to-Chester service and the re-opening of the Halton Curve
But they do add up to a total of £340million.
Liverpool Lime Street Station
Liverpool Lime Street station got a major upgrade for when Liverpool was the 2008 European Capital of Culture and the lines are currently being fully electrified, so the station improvements will complete the transformation of the station into a fitting gateway to the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It might even become a Grade I Listed Building in its own right.
This is said about the remodelling of the station in Wikipedia.
A £340m remodelling of the station will take place from 2017 This will create two new platforms between the existing platforms 7 and 8, with other platforms being lengthened and widened. The remodelling will allow for new services to Glasgow, starting in 2019. A supermarket and new shops will also be built. The station will close for nine days from 30 September 2017 and will also close in autumn 2018 (with dates yet to be confirmed)
On a personal note, I hope it will allow Virgin to run two trains per hour (tph) to and from London. They might even be longer too!
I also wonder if the platforms will be large enough for the trains for HS2, when Liverpool gets two tph from the South.
Newton-le-Willows Station
What happens at Newton-le-Willows station will be interesting to see.
This used to be said under Relocation Proposal in the Wikipedia entry for the station.
There have been proposals to move the station eastwards, due to the poor accessibility of the approach roads and very limited parking, to a site possibly near the M6. However, this could cause some political issues, as it may place the station partially over the Merseyside border into theGMPTE area. Some benefits of this though, would be an opportunity to create a substantial interchange with the West Coast Main Line which passes just east of the existing station, and a large park and ride, reducing car traffic into both Liverpool, Warrington and Manchester. The proposed plans were scrapped in June 2009
It strikes me that Liverpool and Manchester should bury the hatchet on this one!
Apparently, they have buried it, as under Redevelopment this is now said.
Merseytravel put forward proposals in December 2015 for the station to be developed as an interchange station. The proposals were later approved with the work scheduled to be completed by March 2018.
This Google Map shows Newton-le-Willows station and the surrounding area.
Newton-le-Willows Station
I wonder if there is a Grand Design for the UK’s ultimate parkway station.
Trains With An IPEMU Capability
This is an aside to explain the concept of an Independently Powered Electrical Multiple Unit or IPEMU.
It’s just an electrical multiple unit, with some form of energy storage, which is typically a battery. The battery is charged, where there is overhead wires as in Lime Street or third-rail as on the Wirral and Northern Lines.
To a passenger, they’re just like a normal electric train.
On Merseyside, the classic route would be to go up the Northern Line to Ormskirk and then use the batteries to get to Preston via the electrified main line.
Merseyrail have stated that they want their new trains to have this capability.
There are four main reasons.
- They can open up new routes.
- The energy created when the train stops can be used to get it moving again, thus making the train more energy efficient.
- The power in the batteries can be used in emergency in the tunnels, if the main power supply fails.
- Short lengths of up to a few miles of railway can be left without electrification.
Trains with this capability will become increasingly common.
Onward To Chester And North Wales
You can never accuse Merseyrail of not being ambitious and reopening the Halton Curve and running services to Chester, opens up possibilities for services between Liverpool, John Lennon Airport and North Wales.
As Liverpool also have plans to link the Wirral Line to the Borderlands Line possibly using trains with an IPEMU capability, connectivity between Liverpool and North Wales is set to be increased substantially.
Conclusion
I think it is true to say, that Liverpool have a very useful package of improvements here and when coupled with the new trains that Merseyrail are choosing, Liverpool appears to be moving towards a very good local rail network.
Are Network Rail Losing The IPEMU Argument?
Network Rail’s preferred term for a train, that uses batteries as a range extender or to increase train efficiency, is an Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit or for short an IPEMU!
The latest mention of the trains is this article in the Hastings Observer, which is entitled Hybrid trains alternative to electrifying 1066 country railway.
The article mentions hybrid trains and battery trains and gives a good description of the train.
Network Rail’s senior strategic planner in the south east Paul Best explained how they are proposing an ‘incremental approach’ to electrifying the railway between Ashford and Bexhill.
He said they can increase speed limits in certain places but also look into using hybrid trains with a battery so they can be used on the normal track and electric line from St Pancras to Ashford, which would reduce journey times.
But the term IPEMU is never mentioned.
When I rode the prototype, I wrote about it in Is The Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) A Big Innovation In Train Design? I said this.
A Hybrid Train
In some ways to consider this train a battery electric multiple unit is wrong, as its nearest cousin is probably the hybrid bus, such as the New Routemaster in London. In the bus the battery is charged by a small diesel engine and final drive is all-electric.
In the rest of this article, I will continue to use BEMU, but hybrid electric multiple unit or HEMU might be better. It could be argued that the general public associate hybrid with something good, so there may be sensible public relations reasons for calling the trains HEMUs.
No matter what Network Rail says, I think they’ll be called hybrid trains by the media and passengers.
Long Live The Hybrid Train…
Electrification Of The Felixstowe Branch And Other Lines In East Anglia
I’m using the Felixstowe branch as an example, as I used to live near Felixstowe station and I know the area well. I’ll make these assumptions.
- In this rail forum, the cost of electrification was given in 2010 as £100,000 per single track kilometre.
- The passenger line from Ipswich to Felixstowe is about 16 miles with only 6 miles being double-track. So that is effectively 22 miles or 35.4 kilometres of track.
- The Port of Felixstowe is exclusively served by diesel locomotives of various noisy and environmentally-non-friendly types, although sometimes these are changed for an electric Class 90 locomotive at Ipswich. So we can probably leave the Port out of the calculations, especially as they don’t seem to keen on electrification.
- Of the four stations on the line a couple would need to have lengthened platforms for a four-car train.
- The passenger service is roughly hourly and can be run by a single train.
- As the line has a W10 loading gauge, all of the bridges would probably be big enough to accept overhead electrification.
So we get a very rough electrification cost that will be £3.5million at 2010 prices to enable electric trains to go to Felixstowe station. You would have to add any platform costs.
At present the service is run by one inadequate single car Class 153 train.
This train pulls into a bay platform without electrification at Ipswich, which is certainly long enough to take one four car Class 387 train and could probably be lengthened to take an eight-car or two separate trains.
It would probably be necessary to electrify enough of the platform and the route to the branch , so that an IPEMU could be fully charged before it left Ipswich station for Felixstowe. As all of this electrification would be linked to the current electrification on the Great Eastern Main Line, it wouldn’t be an unaffordable cost.
I don’t know the cost of leasing a four-car Class 387 train, but I have read here that forty-five Class 710 Aventra trains, will cost £260million or about six million each. This cost is probably inclusive of servicing, financing and other costs.
This calculation is obviously only very rough, but it does show the advantages of electrifying a branch line using IPEMUs rather than traditional electrification.
- If the line has sufficient gauge clearance for the IPEMU, there are no bridge reconstruction or track lowering costs.
- Only sufficient electrification to charge the train is needed.
- Where the branch is linked to an electrified main line, connection costs of the minimal electrification are minimised.
- Platforms will need to be lengthened as necessary.
From this rudimentary analysis, it would appear that the cost of electrifying a branch line is roughly the same as the capital cost of a new IPEMU.
Looking at the two approaches for the Felixstowe branch for passenger trains only, we get something like.
- Traditional electrification would cost about £3.5million plus the cost of the train, which would probably be an old EMU ready for the scrapyard at a million or so.
- A new IPEMU would cost £6million and there would probably be a cost of under a million to upgrade the line.
But the IPEMU approach would give you other advantages.
- The train company would be running a modern train only a few years old at most.
- New trains attract passengers.
- The train could also run on main lines to create new routes and services.
The only losers in the IPEMU approach are the construction companies, putting up the wires and rebuilding bridges.
Passengers, train companies, local residents and the environment would all gain.
I’ll also look at some of the other branch lines in East Anglia.
The Gainsborough Line
The Gainsborough Line from Marks Tey to Sudbury is just over nineteen kilometres long, so it could easily be within the capability of an IPEMU, which charged on the main line at Marks Tey station.
This line shows the advantages of the IPEMU approach.
- The line goes over the Chappel Viaduct, which is Grade II Listed and one of the largest brick structures in England. Overhead wires could be a problem with both the engineers installing them and the heritage lobby.
- This branch could be extended towards Cambridge and surely to extend a branch without electrification would be easier.
- Passenger numbers might show that some trains should perhaps go to or from Colchester and/or Ipswich. IPEMUs are fast enough to mix it on the main line, with its 100 mph speed.
- The stations on this line are very basic and an IPEMU wouldn’t require any lectrification works.
But the reason, I’d use IPEMUs on this branch, is that a higher capacity line with trains to Marks Tey and perhaps Colchester, would probably take traffic off the congested roads to Sudbury.
The East Suffolk Line
It is my belief that the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich to Lowestoft ,will be electrified using IPEMUs.
- The new franchise has stated that the operator will run direct services between Liverpool Street and Lowestoft. Will the operator want to run this using diesel trains?
- A chord is possibly to be built at Reedham to allow direct Lowestoft to Yarmouth trains.
IPEMUs are not necessary as diesel trains could be used, but four car trains would create much needed capacity between Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Ipswich.
The line is fifty miles or just under eighty kilometres long, so charging would be needed at Lowestoft and/or Yarmouth.
I think the Reedham Chord is integral to Network Rail’s plans for the line and the related Whery Lines, as it is only mentioned in this document on their web site, which is entitled Improving Connectivity.
An Ipswich-Manningtree-Colchester Metro
I think that due to the flexibility of the IPEMU and its ability to run on the main line, could lead to something like an Ipswich-Manningtree-Colchester Metro.
There would certainly be advantages in terms of train and platform utilisation, if branch lines were able to run services in a back-to-back manner passing along the main line.
There could be a core route on the main line perhaps serving.
- Marks Tey
- Colchester
- Ardleigh -possible reopening
- Manningtree
- Bentley – possible reopening
- Ipswich
Services would start and finish on the various branch lines.
- Sudbury on the Gainsborough Line
- Harwich on the Mayflower Line
- Colchester Town
- Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze on the Sunshine Coast Line.
- Felixstowe on the Felixstowe Branch.
Obviously, if such a system were to be created, the design would depend on how passengers used the system and where new developments happen.
The Wherry Lines
The Wherry Lines reach east from Norwich to Lowestoft and Yarmouth. None of the lines are very long, but they suffer from a shortage of suitable rolling stock and especially trains that could go between London and Yarmouth in the summer.
IPEMUs would solve the rolling stock problem and could serve these routes.
- Liverpool Street to Yarmouth via Ipswich and Norwich
- Liverpool Street to Yarmouth via Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely and Norwich
- Norwich to Yarmouth and back to Norwich
- Norwich to Lowestoft and back to Norwich
- Norwich to Lowestoft via Yarmouth and Reedham and back to Norwich.
Services could also link to the East Suffolk Line for Ipswich to give a second route between Ipswich and Norwich.
The Bittern Line
The Bittern Line reaches North from Norwich to Cromer and Sheringham and like the other Norfolk branch lines at thirty miles it is well within the range of an IPEMU.
Rackheath Eco-Town lies close to Salhouse station and plans for the town envisage a new station and a frequent service to Norwich.
There has been talk of tram-trains, but IPEMUs could also be used.
I think the biggest problem at the moment is getting the town built.
The Main Lines Without Electrification
The following lines are not electrified.
- The Breckland Line between Cambridge and Norwich.
- The Ely to Peterborough Line
- The Ipswich to Ely Line
All of these lines could have electrified services provided by IPEMUs.
The Network Rail document; Improving Connectivity, also mentions changes at Newmarket.
Currently, there are two services between Ipswich and the West.
- Cambridge to Ipswich
- Ipswich to Ely and Peterborough
They provide a rather uneven hourly service across Suffolk.
Network Rail are proposing an island platform at Newmarket. The Cambridge to Ipswich service will be as now, but it will have cross-platform interchange with a new Newmarket to Peterborough via Ely service at the updated station.
This will mean that there will be an increased frequency on the line and passengers from Ipswich wanting to go West will be able to get any train and change if necessary at Newmarket.
Could the platform used by the Newmarket to Peterborough service at Newmarket have facilities to charge IPEMUs?
I wrote about an update Newmarket station and other topics in Better East-West Train Services Across Suffolk.
New Stations
In this analysis Cambridge North station, which serves the Cambridge Science Park, keeps cropping up. According to Wikipedia, this is the proposed service pattern.
5tph to Cambridge, with 2tph continuing to London King’s Cross; 1tph continuing to London Liverpool Street and 1tph continuing to Stansted Airport. 4tph to Ely, with 1tph continuing to King’s Lynn, 1tph continuing to Birmingham New Street and 1tph continuing to Norwich.
It may be all right if you’re going to Cambridge, London or Norwich, but what about those who want to go to Bury St. Edmunds or Ipswich.
Is this just another manifestation of the prejudice, that Suffolk is full of yokels and idiots?
Look at the rail maps of East Anglia and there are disused stations and places that appear to need one all over the four eastern counties.
I think just as Yorkshire and Devon have developed a penchant for building new stations, I think we’ll see a few built in the area.
Remember that IPEMUs with their regenerative braking and large doors are stop-start specials, that can call at a station, discharge and load passengers, and be on their way, much quicker than the current diesel multiple units.
Long Distance Services
There are still two services starting and finishing in East Anglia, that travel across the country.
- Norwich to Liverpool
- Birmingham to Stansted Airport
Both could be run using IPEMUs.
I do wonder if it would be better to improve services between Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Ipswich, Norwich, Peterborough and Stansted Airport and link up with these cross-country services at Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough.
When the new franchise is awarded in June 2016, thins will probably be clearer.
Conclusion
Remember that Abellio Greater Anglia were very much part of the testing and demonstration of the IPEMU technology last year, so I suspect that they would like to rid the franchise of diesel trains, as most in East Anglia aren’t the best.
The requirements for the new franchise include.
Improve the quality of trains running on East Anglia’s network, providing a modern service with state of the art trains – extra points will be awarded to bidders who include plans to trial new technologies in rolling stock.
Abellio’s and other studies have probably shown, that electrification of passenger trains in East Anglia can be completed using IPEMUs.
So be prepared to see a new franchise awarded, that promises to eliminate diesel trains from East Anglia.
I think this analysis also shows how when in an area, there is a fair amount of electrification, IPEMUs can successfully fill in all the missing links.
Other areas where IPEMUs could do the same thing now or after the current electrification programs are completed include.
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Glasgow
- Merseyside and the North West
- Newcastle and Middlesborough
- South Wales
- Sussex
I already feel, that one new line; the Barking Riverside Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line has been designed without electrification.
Will We See IPEMUs In Hastings?
I have just been pointed to this article in the Hastings Observer, which is entitled Hybrid trains alternative to electrifying 1066 country railway. This is said.
Battery-powered high-speed trains were proclaimed as the way to decrease rail journey times in 1066 country at a transport summit today (Friday, March 18).
Hybrid Javelin trains would eliminate the need to electrify the Marshlink but still reduce the time it takes to get to London, according to transport representatives at Sussex Coast College.
Network Rail’s senior strategic planner in the south east Paul Best explained how they are proposing an ‘incremental approach’ to electrifying the railway between Ashford and Bexhill.
He said they can increase speed limits in certain places but also look into using hybrid trains with a battery so they can be used on the normal track and electric line from St Pancras to Ashford, which would reduce journey times
So let’s look at this statement in detail. Note that I use Independently-Powered Electric Multiple Unit or IPEMU instead of battery trains.
I think it will be unlikely, that if this comes to pass, that the trains will be Class 395 trains, colloquially known as Javelins.
- I don’t think Hitachi could deliver their made-in-Japan product for some time due to busy production schedules.
- Hitachi have not disclosed any plans for a battery variant of a Class 395 train.
- Paul Best of Network Rail isn’t reported as mentioning Javelins.
Hitachi may be able to deliver such a train in the future and I may be wrong about their capabilities.
I think if we see Paul Best’s hybrid trains working between St. Pancras and 1066 country, then there is only one proven train; an IPEMU or battery-powered version of the Class 387 train.
- Soon, there could be several of the trains sitting in sidings or being built at Bombardier’s factory in Derby.
- All or most of the Class 387 trains are owned by Porterbrook. Leasing companies are not charities and like their assets to sweat.
- Bombardier and Network Rail demonstrated the IPEMU technology in public service over twelve months ago.
- Class 387/2 trains destined for Gatwick Express have been extensively tested on the West Coast Main Line. Has their 200 kph capability been explored?
- Southern, who have lots of experience of running Class 387 trains, are responsible for the services between Hastings and Ashford International.
- Adding the required signalling and certifying the Class 387 trains for HS1, shouldn’t be a difficult problem.
- Jumping the electrification gap of the Marshlink Line, is well within the capability of a Class 387 train with an IPEMU capability.
The only problem I can see, is that they are only a 110 mph train as opposed to the 140 mph of the Class 395 train, when that train runs on HS1. So would this cause route planning problems? But then the line can accommodate slower freight trains.
But I did say the following in Will Southern Create A South Coast Express Using IPEMUs?, about an electrified service on the Marshlink Line.
Using IPEMU trains would simplify the job and mean no electrification would be needed.
It would appear that Network Rail are thinking along similar lines.
The High Speed Battery Train
Are Bombardier creating a genuine high speed train with a 200 kph capability and the ability to run for at least fifty miles on battery power.
- Bombardier certainly have the experience to build a 200 kph train for the UK, in that both Class 221 trains and Class 222 trains were built by Bombardier.
- If they had to settle for the 175 kph of the current Class 387 train, that wouldn’t be too serious a problem. Especially, if they could squeeze the extra 25 kph in a few years, with an upgrade.
- Class 387 trains have been running on Thameslink since December 2014.
- A lot of technology like LED lights, regenerative braking, efficient air-conditioning and automatic train control systems are available to make trains use less electricity.
- The battery technology has been reported as going through extensive testing in Mannheim.
Without doubt Bombardier can produce a 175 kph (110 mph) train based on the Class 387 train and they could be able to stretch that to a 200 kph (125 mph) one!
That would be some train!
The IPEMU Market
If they can produce a high speed train with an onboard energy storage, it is not a speculative product without a market.
In addition to the Marshlink Line, all of these lines have a proportion of running at around 160 kph or over and then an extension, that is not electrified.
- Liverpool Street to Lowestoft – This route is in the new Greater Anglia franchise.
- Liverpool Street to Yarmouth via Cambridge, Ely and Norwich.
- Liverpool Street to Peterborough via Cambridge.
- Ipswich to Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough.
- Kings Cross to Grimsby, Hull and Lincoln.
- Kings Cross to Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
- Liverpool to Newcastle and Edinburgh via Manchester, Huddersfield and Leeds.
- Liverpool to Hull via Warrington, Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster.
- Blackpool to Leeds via Preston and the Calder Valley Line.
- St. Pancras to Corby and Leicester
- Euston to Barrow, Blackpool, Chester, Huddersfield and Shrewsbury
- Paddington to Bedwyn, Henley, Marlowe, Newbury, Oxford and Windsor
In addition, there are some routes , which could be served, with some short stretches of electrification or a means of charging the train at the terminus.
- Waterloo to Exeter via Salisbury.
- York to Scarborough
- Edinburgh to Tweedbank
- Settle to Carlisle
- Carlisle to Newcastle.
And then there’s all the branch lines!
Conclusion
Could we be witnessing a rail revolution powered by batteries?
I certainly think we are and have thought so for some time.
Who’ve have thought that Network Rail would spill the beans in Hastings about a rather charming line across the Romney Marsh?
The Scottish Borders Have Caught London Overground Syndrome
The Scottish Borders would appear to be suffering from that new benign disease;London Overground Syndrome!
This disease, which is probably a modern version of the Victorian railway mania, was first identified in East London in 2011, when it was found that the newly-refurbished East London Line and North London Line were inadequate due to high passenger satisfaction and much increased usage. It has now spread across other parts of the capital, despite various eradication programs.
- Lengthening the trains from three to five cars.
- Adding step-free access or rebuilding stations like Brondesbury, Hackney Central, Hackney Wick, Hampstead Heath, Kensal Rise, West Hampstead and Whitechapel.
- Extending the system with a new branch to Clapham Junction station.
- Taking over the Lea Valley Lines to Cheshunt, Chingford and Enfield Town.
- Modernising and electrifying the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
- Extending the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside.
- Taking over the unwanted Romford to Upminster Line.
The latest pressure would seem to be to take over more of London’s suburban routes.
Londoners can’t seem to get enough of the life-improving orange.
Rail Plans For The Scottish Borders
This article on the BBC is entitled Borders Railway: Future Goals For New Routes Drawn Up.
Reading the article, it would appear that the following are proposed or are possibilities for the Borders Railway to mitigate the effect of London Overground syndrome.
- Building on the current success.
- Extending the railway to Hawick.
- Add some dynamic passing loops to increase service resilience.
- Add some more parking.
- Improve the wi-fi.
- More capacity and especially for tourism-related reasons.
- More steam trains.
- A possible branch to Peebles.
It would appear to be all well-thought out ideas, some of which will happen.
- More car parking at Tweedbank and Stow
- Longer trains with space for bicycles.
- Perhaps a longer passing loop. to enable increased and faster services.
- A turnback facility at Tweedbank to aid the running of stem trains.
- Better wi-fi.
But most of these projects are easily costed and the benefits can be calculated. So they are ones that accountants like and can fund or turn down.
Onward To Hawick
The Wikipedia entry for the Borders Railway, says this about a proposed extension to Hawick and Carlisle.
The Campaign for Borders Rail has called for the continuation of the line to Melrose and Hawick, and eventually to Carlisle. According to the group, Hawick suffered more than any other town in the Borders from the closure of the Waverley Route, and only the return of the railway could halt the area’s economic decline. At the time of the closure of the Waverley Route, Hawick was a 70-minute journey from Edinburgh. At Melrose, the southbound station platform and building exist alongside the Melrose Bypass. Network Rail has confirmed that there is nothing to prevent the extension of the line beyond Tweedbank, although commentators have remarked that the Bypass could pose problems. A major realignment of the road would be required, as well as the reinstatement of embankments and bridges.
I have traced the route of the Waverley Route beyond Tweedbank station on Google Maps and you can see a lot of the original route to Hawick, which only seems to have one viaduct at Ale Water.
Note that there appear to be a succession of viaducts to the South of Hawick, so perhaps Hawick would be a town to take a breather. I’ve also traced this section on Google Maps and if it was ever rebuilt, it would certainly be some railway.
I think that they could spend a lot of money going all the way to Carlisle, but an affordable extension to Hawick via the Borders Hospital and Melrose might be so successful as to get the politicians to allow the engineers to go all the way to Carlisle station, which as I reported in If Manchester Victoria and Birmingham New Street Were The First Two Courses, Is Carlisle The Third?, is being rebuilt to give all friendly visitors a warm welcome.
Power To The Peebles?
I’ve borrowed the corny sub-heading from a section in the BBC report, that prompted me to write this post.
The report says this.
It also recognises the success of the Borders Railway as encouraging hopes of reopening other lines.
It said some might not be suitable for redevelopment but cited the former route between Edinburgh and Peebles as one worth considering.
I think the route to Peebles is the Peebles Railway, which leaves the Borders Railway, just South of Eskbank station, goes South Westerly to Peebles and then Easterly to rejoin the Border Railway North of Galashiels station.
This sudden appearance of a plan for a Peebles Branch of the Border Railway has got my suspicions that a group of engineers have resorted to the methods of Brunel and Stephenson to solve the problem of increasing the double track on the Borders Railway.
I suspect the engineering fag packets and used envelops were produced together with a bottle of Scotland’s finest malt whisky and everybody went to the garden of a suitable hostelry, that overlooked the line and got thinking.
They looked at some of the single track sections like Newbattle Viaduct and thought that rebuilding railways in Syria might be easier.
Then they looked at the route of the Peebles Railway and felt if it was rebuilt, it would kill three birds with one stone.
- Peebles and a few other places would be connected to the rail network.
- The Borders Railway would get a much needed passing loop.
- Various tunnels and viaducts on the Borders Railway would not need to be double-tracked.
The Peebles Branch could be single or double-tracked according to the terrain and the costs.
A Second Borders Railway
It would also appear that because of the success of the Borders Railway, that there are suggestions to add new stations on the East Coast Main Line at Reston and East Linton. This is said under Future in the Wikipedia entry for East Linton station.
Proposals to reopen the station, along with the former station at Reston, have received the backing of John Lamont MSP, who has taken the case to the Scottish Parliament. A study published in 2013 proposed that East Linton and Reston stations be reopened. Since Abellio ScotRail took over the franchise in April 2015, they have now committed to reopening East Linton and Reston Stations as part of the local Berwick service by December 2016 but due to the shortage of rolling stock this will now commence in December 2018.
So it would appear there is a high chance it will happen.
This Google Map shows the location of East Linton between Dunbar and Edinburgh.
East Linton and Dunbar
East Linton is indicated by the red arrow and Dunbar is on the coast to the East.
Dunbar station is on the East Coast Main Line, with services to Edinburgh and Berwick-on-Tweed.
This Google Map shows the proposed location of Reston station, which is between Dunbar and Berwick-on-Tweed.
Reston And Berwick-on-Tweed
Reston is indicated by the red arrow. The river at the bottom is the Tweed, with Berwick on the coast and the border.
This scheme looks to be a very sensible use of an existing main line. It also follows a pattern of adding Parkway stations to main lines and the recent opening of the new Cranbrook station on the West of England Main Line.
There would appear to be a few other closed stations on the line.
As they are not mentioned with respect to East Linton and Reston stations, I would assume that there is not a great deal of pressure for reopening.
If we look at the possible opening of services to East Linton and Reston stations in 2018, when Abellio Scotrail have trains available, this will only be a year before First TransPennine extend their Newcastle services to Edinburgh.
So could this hourly service stop at other places between Newcastle and Edinburgh, other than the proposed Morpeth?
The Berwickshire Railway
When I was looking at the Wikipedia entry for Reston station, I noticed that the Berwickshire Railway linked the station to St. Boswell’s station on the Waverley Route, which could be part of the extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick.
I suspect someone has looked at this line to create a route to Galashiels from the South East via Reston, St. Boswell’s, Melrose and Tweedbank.
But this report of the Storm of 1948 probably told them to forget the idea.
Wolverhampton Says Go
Wolverhampton station has a few problems in the past.
- It was short of capacity and a new through platform 4 has been built.
- It needed to be linked to the buses, and a new bus station has been built nearby.
- The Midland Metro terminated in the City Centre, not at the station.
This Google Map shows from the station to the current tram stop.
Wolverhampton City Centre
Note the bus station, which is the three pronged building to the South West of the station on the other side of the dual carriageway.
The current tram stop at St. George’s is the blue dot in the bottom left corner of the map.
Today, this article has been published in the Wolverhampton Express and Star, which is entitled Wolverhampton train station’s new look revealed. This is said.
The artist’s impressions were revealed at an international property conference being held in Cannes as part of the council’s presentation showcasing the city’s regeneration successes and future developments.
Work is due to start on the new railway station next year following the extension and refurbishment of the railway station multi-storey car park, which is expected to be completed by Christmas.
The revamp is part of the £120 million Interchange project that will also see a Metro line extension, including a new stop at the station.
So positive things seem to be happening. This is a visualisation.
The Planned Wolverhampton Station
Note the tram and the lines in front of the station.
This section in Wikipedia details how the trams will link to the station. This is an extract.
In March 2014, it was announced that the Wolverhampton Extension would go ahead as part of a £2bn connectivity package. The new line would see two new stops built at Piper’s Row and Wolverhampton Railway Station, which will see trams terminate alternately at the Rail station and at the existing St George’s stop.
It’s a pity, that the tram isn’t being extended to Molineux.
Scotland To Keep Class 170 Trains
This article on Global Rail News, which is entitled Scotland promises bumper timetable from 2018, says this.
ScotRail will introduce 200 additional services to its timetable from 2018 after extending its lease on 13 Class 170 diesel multiple units.
Additional funding from the Scottish government will allow ScotRail to retain 39 Class 170 carriages beyond 2018.
The deal, which was announced yesterday (March 15), represents 20,000 extra seats daily.
It’s all a bit of a surprise to me, in that I had assumed that the Class 170 trains, that will be released by brand-new Class 385 trains would be moved elsewhere.
So it could be that Scotland’s gain is a loss in England and Wales?
But there could be another reason, why there has been no adverse comment from the rest of the UK!
New trains could be coming to lines that desperately need replacements for elderly diesel multiple units.
Already we’ve had the order for CAF Civity trains, but this non-transfer tells me something else could be on the cards.
- Another order for new trains.
- The predicted Class 387 IPEMUs will finally appear.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
The Anonymous Widower 