The Anonymous Widower

Could Sheffield Station Become A Battery-Electric Train Hub?

Promised Improvements To Train Services At Sheffield

This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.

Sheffield station gets several mentions of improvement to these routes.

Sheffield And Hull

This is said about train services between Sheffield and Hull.

The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield will be doubled, to 2 per hour, with capacity also doubled.

These points describe typical current services.

  • The route is 59.4 miles long.
  • Modern Class 170 trains take 78 minutes.
  • There are stops at Meadowhall, Doncaster, Goole and Brough.
  • The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 70 mph, with one short section of 100 mph.
  • The average speed is 45.7 mph.
  • The train continues to Scarborough after a six-minute stop at Hull.

I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around an hour would be possible between Sheffield and Hull.

Sheffield and Scarborough takes two hours and 45 minutes. With electrification, this time could be less than two hours and 30 minutes.

But it would be around 113 miles of new double-track electrification.

I believe that Sheffield and Hull is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.

Sheffield And Leeds

This is said about train services between Sheffield and Leeds.

The line between Sheffield and Leeds will be electrified and upgraded, giving passengers a choice of 3 to 4 fast trains an hour, instead of 1, with journey times of 40 minutes. A new mainline station for Rotherham will also be added to the route, which could give the town its first direct service to London since the 1980s, boosting capacity by 300%.

These points describe typical current services.

  • The route is 41.1 miles long.
  • Modern Class 195 trains take 56 minutes.
  • There is a few miles of electrification at the Leeds end.
  • There are stops at Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate.
  • The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 60-70 mph.
  • The average speed is 44 mph.

I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around fifty minutes might be possible between Sheffield and Leeds.

That is not really good enough, but if they went through a new mainline station for Rotherham, the trains would be able to use 100 mph tracks all the way to Leeds. There would also be electrification between South Kirby junction and Leeds.

I suspect forty minutes should be possible with 100 mph running between Rotherham and Leeds.

I believe that Sheffield and Leeds is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.

Sheffield And Manchester

This is said about train services between Sheffield and Manchester.

The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield will also be electrified and upgraded, with the aim of cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from 2 to 3 per hour, doubling capacity.

In Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line, I talked about electrification of the line and how the services on the line could be run by battery-electric trains.

This was my conclusion in the linked post.

I believe that full electrification of the Hope Valley Line is not needed, if battery-electric trains are used.

I also believe that battery-electric trains and the current improvements being carried out on the Hope Valley Line will enable a forty minute time between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.

I believe that the Hope Valley Line could be speeded up, by the use of intelligent engineering, rather than expensive and disruptive electrification.

Don Valley Line

This is said about the Don Valley Line.

Communities will be reconnected through the reopening of lines and stations closed under the Beeching reforms of the 1960s. This will include the restoration of the Don Valley Line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria, and new stations at Haxby Station, near York, Waverley, near Rotherham, and the Don Valley Line from Sheffield to Stocksbridge.

I’ve talked about the Don Valley Line before in Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services.

The Don Valley Line has a comprehensive Wikipedia entry, which is well worth a read.

Could the Don Valley Line be worked by battery-electric trains?

It would appear that these promised improvements to and from Sheffield could be worked by battery-electric trains.

Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, it could also have services, using these trains.

Could Battery-Electric Trains Improve Other Services At Sheffield?

These are some possibilities.

Chesterfield And Sheffield Victoria

This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled East Midlands To Benefit From £9.6 billion Transport Investment.

This news story also talks about the Stocksbridge Line and Sheffield Victoria, where this is said.

Funding will also be provided for the Barrow Hill Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield Victoria, with a new station at Staveley in Derbyshire.

I wrote about the Barrow Hill Line in Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield.

In the related post, this was my conclusion.

This looks to be a very sensible project.

  • It could be run with either trains or tram-trams.
  • It should be electrified, so it could be zero-carbon.
  • Tram-trains could be used to make stations simpler.
  • It could give an alternative route for electric trains to Sheffield station.
  • The track is already there and regularly used.

But surely the biggest reason to built it, is that it appears to open up a lot of South and South-East Sheffield and North-East Chesterfield for development.

Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, Chesterfield and Sheffield could also have services, using these trains.

Sheffield And Adwick

Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Adwick.

Consider.

  • Sheffield and Adwick is 22.7 miles.
  • Journeys take fifty minutes.
  • There are seven intermediate stations.
  • This is an average speed of 27.2 mph.
  • Adwick and Doncaster is 4.4 miles and electrified.
  • There are generous turn-round times at both ends of the route.
  • There are rather unusual reversing arrangements at Adwick.

I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.

Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?

  • The train could fully charge between Adwick and Doncaster and at Adwick.
  • It is only a short route with a round trip under sixty miles.

I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.

Sheffield And Huddersfield

Nothing is said in the news story about train services in the Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield.

Consider.

  • Sheffield and Huddersfield is 36.4 miles.
  • Journeys take one hour and nineteen minutes.
  • There are fifteen intermediate stations.
  • This is an average speed of 27.6 mph.
  • Huddersfield is being electrified as part of the TransPennine Upgrade.

I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.

Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?

Sheffield And Lincoln

Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Lincoln.

Consider.

  • Sheffield and Lincoln is 48.5 miles.
  • All Sheffield and Lincoln services start in Leeds.
  • Journeys take one hour and twenty-five minutes.
  • There are nine intermediate stations.
  • This is an average speed of 34.2 mph.
  • There is no electrification.
  • Turn-round time at Lincoln is 26 minutes.
  • All trains terminate in Platform 5 at Lincoln.

I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.

Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?

  • Platform 5 could be electrified at Lincoln.
  • There may need to be a battery top-up at Sheffield and Leeds.

I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.

Electrification Between Sheffield And London

Consider.

  • The Midland Main Line electrification is creeping up from London.
  • It should soon be installed between St. Pancras and Market Harborough.
  • Sheffield and Market Harborough is 81.9 miles.
  • The Class 810 trains that will run the Sheffield and London route can’t be far off entering service.

There might be scope for running battery-electric trains on the route, until the electrification is complete.

A Battery-Electric Train Hub At Sheffield

I believe that a fair proportion of services to and from Sheffield could be run using battery-electric trains or bog-standard electric trains.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Sheffield.

Note.

  1. The lilac tracks are those of the Sheffield Supertram.
  2. The darker lines are the tracks in the station.
  3. Tracks could be electrified as required.

Eventually, Sheffield will be a fully-electrified station, because of the Midland Main Line electrification.

But why not do it sooner rather than later, so that by running new or refurbished battery-electric trains to places like Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, London and Manchester?

  • Services would be speeded up by around a minute or two for each stop.
  • Faster journeys may attract more passengers.
  • Routes would be creating less carbon emission and pollution.
  • In some cases, routes would be zero carbon.

Some routes would need electrification at the terminal to charge the trains, but Leeds, London St. Pancras and Manchester are already fully electrified.

Charging Long Distance Battery-Electric Trains When They Stop In Sheffield

These long distance services stop in Sheffield.

  • CrossCountry – Plymouth and Edinburgh
  • CrossCountry – Reading and Newcastle
  • East Midland Railway – London and Leeds
  • East Midland Railway – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich
  • Northern – Leeds and Lincoln
  • Northern – Leeds and Nottingham
  • Northern – Sheffield and Cleethorpes
  • TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes

battery-electric trains could be given a top-up, as they pass through.

I am assuming that CrossCountry, East Midland Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express will be running suitable battery-electric trains.

Battery-Electric Train Hubs

To be a battery-electric train hub, a station probably needs to have all or nearly all of its platforms electrified.

  • It should be able to fully-charge any battery-electric trains terminating in the station, provided that the turn-round time is long enough.
  • It should be able to give a through battery-electric train a boost if required, so that it gets to the final destination.

It would appear that there are already several battery-electric train hubs in the England, Scotland and Wales.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool Lime Street station, with electrified tracks shown in red.

It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Manchester Piccadilly station, with electrified tracks shown in red.

It would appear that the station is fully electrified, except for the Northernmost platform, and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Leeds station, with electrified tracks shown in red.

It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub, with twelve electrified bay platforms.

Conclusion

I can see a very comprehensive scheme being developed for Sheffield, based on a hub for battery-electric trains at Sheffield station.

 

October 17, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Improvements To Leeds And Hull Services

This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.

This is said about Leeds and Hull services.

Hull will also be brought into the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, reducing journey time from Leeds from 58 minutes to just 48. The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield will be doubled, to 2 per hour, with capacity also doubled. Journeys from Hull to Manchester will drop from 115 to 84 minutes, enabling 2 fast trains to Leeds.

I shall look at the 10:15 Northern Trains service between Hull and Leeds on the 13th October 2023.

  • The distance is 51.8 miles.
  • There are seven stops.
  • The service is run by a diesel Class 158 train.
  • Journey time is 69 minutes.

Ten minutes off this time would be worthwhile.

I shall look at the 10:03 TransPennine Express service between Hull and Leeds on the 13th October 2023.

  • There are two stops.
  • The service is run by a diesel Class 185 train.
  • Journey time is 54 minutes.

Ten minutes off this time would be difficult.

Note.

  1. The line between Micklefield and Leeds is being electrified.
  2. The distance between Hull and Micklefield is 42 miles.
  3. The route has a maximum speed of between 75 and 90 mph.

There is also an historic swing bridge at Selby, which would probably be difficult to electrify.

How Many Minutes Could Electric Trains Save Between Leeds and Hull?

Electric trains have better acceleration and deceleration, when compared to diesel trains, so two minutes per stop and for the acceleration and deceleration at Hull and Leeds, would give the following times.

  • Northern Trains – 53 minutes
  • TransPennine Express – 48 minutes

As electrification is not mentioned for between Leeds and Hull, the only electric trains, that could work the route will be battery-electric trains.

Battery-Electric Trains Between Leeds and Hull

Consider.

  • TransPennine Express already have Class 802 trains, from which the battery-electric version is being developed.
  • Northern Trains would need a suitable battery-electric train. There has been talk of a CAF battery-electric Class 331 train, but nothing more. These would surly be ideal.
  • Trains could be charged on new electrification in Hull station and between Micklefield and Leeds.

The trains would need a range of just 42 miles.

A Second Fast Train Between Leeds and Hull

What does this statement in the news story imply?

Journeys from Hull to Manchester will drop from 115 to 84 minutes, enabling 2 fast trains to Leeds.

I feel that this statement must be read in conjunction with the benefits of the TransPennine Route Upgrade.

One benefit is given as Faster Journeys, where this is said.

We’re speeding up journeys so you can travel to your favourite towns and cities more quickly. Our fastest journey times are forecast to be 63-66 minutes between Manchester and York and 41-42 minutes between Manchester and Leeds.

The news story says that the fastest journey times between Leeds and Hull will be 48 minutes, which would give a Hull and Manchester time of 89-90 minutes.

Alternatively, there could be these timings on one train.

  • Hull and Leeds – 48 mins
  • Hull and Manchester Victoria – 84 mins
  • Leeds and Manchester Victoria – 36 mins

Note.

  1. The train would call at Brough, Selby, Leeds, Huddersfield and Stalybridge.
  2. There may be a new station at Leeds Thorpe Park
  3. The distance between Hull and Manchester Victoria is 94.7 miles.
  4. This is an average speed of 67.6 mph.

It almost looks like it’s connectivity East of Leeds and speed between Leeds and Manchester.

Conclusion

Battery-electric trains would provide all the improvements promised between Leeds and Hull.

October 16, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A First Trip To Headbolt Lane Station – 13th October 2023

Headbolt Lane station opened a week ago and I went to take a look today, where I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. It is a three-platform station, with two platforms pointing towards Liverpool and one towards Wigan Wallgate station.
  2. Changing trains is about a fifty metre walk.
  3. The toilets are trans-ready. But the toilets at Peterborough station, that I wrote about in A Pair Of Toilets At Peterborough Station were too.

I have a few thoughts.

Could There Be Through Running Between Headbolt Lane and Wigan Wallgate Stations?

This picture shows the walkway between Platform 2 on the South side of the tracks and Platforms 1 and 3 on the North side.

Note.

  1. Platform 1 is the platform on the left and Platform 2 is on the right.
  2. Platform 3 is in line with Platform 1 behind the fence at the far end of Platforms 1 and 2.
  3. The tracks don’t go straight through.
  4. There are two concrete blocks forming the walkway between platforms.

I suspect the answer is no at the moment.

But I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the blocks have been designed to be lifted out and there is space to put a footbridge over the tracks, so that if in the future, through running were to be required, it is possible.

How Would A Station To Skelmersdale Be Connected?

In New Express Bus Improves Links Between Skelmersdale And Liverpool, I talked about a new express bus service between Kirkby and Skelmersdale.

This page on Bus Times gives details of the service.

The 319 Trainlink service will surely give useful information on possible passenger numbers.

In Would A Lower Cost Rail Link To Skelmersdale Be Possible?, I looked at options for the rail line.

Wigan’s Comprehensive Local Connections

Wigan North Western and Wigan Wallgate station have services to all these stations.

  • Accrington
  • Appley Bridge
  • Ashton-under-Lyne
  • Atherton
  • Bescar Lane
  • Blackburn
  • Blackpool North
  • Bolton
  • Broad Green
  • Bryn
  • Burnley Manchester Road
  • Burscough Bridge
  • Clifton
  • Daisy Hill
  • Deansgate
  • Eccleston Park
  • Edge Hill
  • Euxton Balshaw Lane
  • Farnworth
  • Garswood
  • Gathurst
  • Hag Fold
  • Headbolt Lane
  • Hindley
  • Hoscar
  • Huyton
  • Ince
  • Kearsley
  • Leyland
  • Littleborough
  • Manchester Oxford Road
  • Manchester Victoria
  • Meols Cop
  • Moorside
  • Moses Gate
  • New Lane
  • Orrell
  • Parbold
  • Pemberton
  • Poulton-le-Fylde
  • Prescot
  • Rainford
  • Toby
  • Rochdale
  • Rose Grove
  • Salford Central
  • Salford Crescent
  • Smithy Bridge
  • Southport
  • Stalybridge
  • St Helens Central
  • Swinton
  • Todmorden
  • Thatto Heath
  • Upholland
  • Walkden
  • Wavertree Technology Park
  • Westhoughton

Fifty-eight stations is certainly comprehensively connected.

The Connection To High Speed Two At Wigan North Western

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the two Wigan stations; North Western and Wallgate.

Note.

  1. The orange tracks are the West Coast Main Line, which in the future, will carry High Speed Two services to and from Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Scotland.
  2. The yellow tracks are the local lines between Manchester in the East and Kirkby and Southport in the West.
  3. The local lines split after they pass under the West Coast Main Line, with the North-Western branch going to Southport and the Western branch going to Headbolt Lane, Kirkby and Liverpool.
  4. Wigan North Western is on the West Coast Main Line.
  5. Wigan Wallgate is on the local lines.

The stations are close enough to be converted into a superb combined station, where local passengers can join high speed services.

This picture shows the platforms of Wigan North Western station.

Wigan North Western station can’t be far off being able to accept pairs of High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, that will be 400 metres long.

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Only two High Speed Two services stop at Wigan North Western.

  • The London and Lancaster service, which splits and joins with a London and Liverpool service at Crewe.
  • The Birmingham and Scotland service.

As Wigan North Western has comprehensive local connections to the Northern areas of Liverpool and Manchester, it surely needs more services.

North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment

This is the title of this government document, which has this sub-heading.

Multibillion-pound plan to link major cities in the North via bus, rail and new and improved roads.

It says this about Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.

  • Greater Manchester will also receive around £1.5 billion from the CRSTS2 budget and around £900 million additional funding – funded from HS2 – which is an unprecedented investment in local transport networks. That is more than double their allocation under the previous programme
  • Liverpool City Region will also receive c.£1 billion from the CRSTS2 budget, plus a further £600 million on top – funded from HS2. That is more than double their allocation under the last round

Some of that amount of money could go a long way to improve Liverpool and Manchester connections through Wigan and create a link to High Speed Two.

TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland

Currently, the following services run between Liverpool and Manchester, and Scotland.

  • Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell
  • Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Waverley – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District and Haymarket Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle and Lockerbie and Haymarket
  • Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central – 2 tpd – via St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell

Note.

  1. tp2h is trains per two hours.
  2. tpd is trains per day.
  3. Only the Liverpool services go through Wigan.
  4. North of Preston all trains will use the same route.
  5. All three services are run by Class 397 trains.
  6. When High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains start running to Glasgow and Edinburgh, they will use the same route North of Preston.

Point 5 surely means that High Speed Two’s trains will be limited to the same speed as the current Class 397 trains, which is 125 mph. Although, this might be increased to up to 140 mph, by the use of in-cab digital signalling.

Consider.

  • Edinburgh to Preston is 191.4 miles.
  • The current TransPennine express service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 34 minutes, with five stops, at an average speed of 74.6 mph.
  • The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the London-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 30 minutes, with two stops and a split/join at Carlisle, at an average speed of 76.6 mph.
  • The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the Birmingham-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 24 minutes, with four stops, at an average speed of 79.8 mph.

Note.

  1. The first timing is based on a Class 397 train and the others will be High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
  2. The times would appear to be vaguely in line with each other.
  3. The removal of the split/join could explain why the Birmingham service is six minutes faster.

The following would appear to be true.

  • Both the Class 397 and High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains can run at similar speeds North of Preston.
  • The High Speed Two Classic Compatible train may have faster acceleration and deceleration, which could save a few minutes.
  • Nothing substantial has been done to improve the tracks between Edinburgh and Preston.
  • As the current times are run without digital signalling and the Class 397 train, is within ten minutes of that, I would be very surprised if digital signalling will be installed before High Speed Two services reach Edinburgh.

I also suspect that if digital signalling and a few other improvements were made to the North of Preston, a few extra minutes could be saved.

The Future Of TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland

Will the TransPennine services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland continue after High Speed Two services start running to North of the border?

Consider.

  • I have never seen any plans from High Speed Two for services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland.
  • If the TransPennine services, aren’t kept, travelling between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland will need a change at Wigan North Western or Preston.
  • The TransPennine services will probably need only a single train per hour (tph) on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Preston.

I can see them continuing. But possibly in a different form.

In 1967, I went from Glasgow to Manchester on a train.

  • The Glasgow and Edinburgh trains joined at Carstairs.
  • They then split again at Preston.
  • One half went to Manchester and the other half went to Liverpool.

I remember that the train was late, because of late arrival of the Edinburgh train at Carstairs.

I needed to take a taxi. But I wrote my first complaint letter and got a cheque from British Rail.

Could similar joining and splitting be used again, as it uses only one train path between Preston and Scotland?

Would it also be better, if the service were to be under the Management of High Speed Two?

There are several possibilities, but I feel the TransPennine services will continue.

October 12, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

TransPennine Express To Stop Using Loco-Hauled Push-Pull Trains In December

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

This is the sub-heading.

TransPennine Express has confirmed that it will cease using its push-pull sets of Class 68 locomotives and MkVa coaches, previously designated Nova 3 sets, from the December 2023 timetable change.

These are my thoughts.

The Nova 3 Trains

Currently, the Nova 3 trains are made up from the following.

Note.

  1. There have been complaints about the noise of the Class 68 locomotives at Scarborough and also at Marylebone with Chiltern Railways.
  2. The Class 68 locomotives could be switched to freight duties.
  3. The coaches are capable of 125 mph.
  4. A maximum of thirteen sets can be created.
  5. I suspect CAF wouldn’t object to being asked to build some more Mark 5a coaches and driving van trailers.
  6. The current fleet has a spare locomotive and a spare driving van trailer to allow for servicing.

All locomotives and coaches are a maximum of seven years old, so will have plenty of life left.

The Class 93 Locomotive

Rail Operations Group have ordered ten Class 93 locomotives, with twenty options, which have an impressive specification.

  • Built by Stadler in Valencia.
  • Same family as a Class 68 and 88 locomotive.
  • Electric, diesel and battery power
  • 110 mph operating speed
  • Ability to pull passenger and freight trains.
  • Delivery scheduled for 2023.

I believe that if the Class 68 diesel locomotive of a Nova 3 train, were to be replaced with a Class 93 locomotive, a very useful train would be created.

  • It would be ten mph faster, than a Nova 3 train.
  • It could use the diesel engine and the batteries to bridge gaps in electrification.
  • By adding extra carriages it could be tailored to the needs of a route.
  • In Vegetable Oil Fuelling Chiltern Railways Trains In UK First, I discuss how it might be possible to run all these locomotives on HVO to cut emissions.
  • It could be quieter.

Could it be a simple way to reduce carbon emissions on a route?

The Successor To The Class 93 Locomotive

Stadler keep innovating in their designs for locomotives and are already building hydrogen-powered multiple units.

I can see Stadler coming up with a hydrogen-powered locomotive, with the following specification.

  • In the same family as Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives.
  • Ability to do everything that Class 68, 88 and 93 locomotives can do.
  • Ability to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, where it exists.
  • Ability to be able to be fitted with third-rail equipment, so it can use 750 VDC third-rail electrification, where it exists.
  • At least a 110 mph operating speed.
  • Range of at least 200 miles on hydrogen.

Stadler would sell a lot of these locomotives to decarbonise railways all over the world.

Possible Routes

These are possible routes for a rake of Mark 5a coaches hauled by a Class 93 locomotive or its zero-carbon successor.

Hull Trains

Consider.

  • Hull Trains is an open access operator.
  • Hull Trains currently have a fleet of five Class 802 trains, each of which have five-cars.
  • A Class 93 locomotive has a power of 900 kW on diesel, whereas the Class 802 train has 2100 kW.
  • The Class 802 train has nearly ten percent more capacity.
  • In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I saw two Class 802 trains working as a pair. Does this indicate they have a capacity problem?
  • Between Hull and the East Coast Main Line is only 36.1 miles and  isn’t very challenging and I suspect could probably be easily handled by a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.
  • Adding extra coaches would not be difficult and would probably be less costly than with the more complex Class 802 trains.
  • Hull Trains need to have a plan to decarbonise.
  • HVO could be used to cut down emissions.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step  to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Would other operators of Class 802 trains like to increase their fleets, by adding Hull Trains’s five Class 802 trains?

TransPennine Express

Consider.

  • TransPennine Express currently have four different fleets of trains, so it must cause problems with the allocation of drivers.
  • The Class 397 trains are confined to the West Coast Main Line.
  • So that leaves the bi-mode Class 802 trains and the diesel Class 185 trains to work the TransPennine routes.

The Wikipedia entry for the Class 802 train, gives more details of the plans for the Class 802 trains.

During October 2021, it was announced that TransPennine Express, Hitachi, and Angel Trains had agreed to convert one of the former’s Nova 1 trainsets into a battery hybrid train on a trial basis with the aim of supporting the technology’s further development. If successful, Hitachi and Angel Trains have proposed the retrofitting of the entire fleet. In January 2022, reports emerged that the Nova 1 fleet was operating under diesel power even when operating on entirely electrified sections of the East Coast Main Line on account of the insufficient power supplies present along the line; national railway infrastructure owner Network Rail is reportedly set to complete upgrades to the power supplies within two years.

The fleet is also set to benefit from the rollout of electrification under the Transpennine route upgrade scheme. The company’s management has noted that, in the event of largescale electrification being funded and implemented, the Class 802s could have some of their engines removed to reduce roughly 15% of their weight and thus raise their efficiency. Furthermore, Leo Goodwin, TPE’s managing director, has observed that while the Class 802s have an initial maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), they have the capability of being modified for operating at 140 mph (230 km/h) if infrastructure upgrades were to permit such speeds at a future date.

Could an augmented fleet of battery-electric Class 802 trains handle the bulk of the TransPennine routes, with the shorter and unelectrified ones still being handled by the Class 185 trains?

These shorter routes are.

  • Leeds and Huddersfield
  • Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
  • York and Scarborough

Plans only exist to electrify Leeds and Huddersfield.

I suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed.

Great Western Railway

Could a Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches be used as a replacement for the GWR Castles or short-formation InterCity125s?

  • They both have four passenger coaches.
  • They are both 125 mph trains.
  • A Class 68 locomotive could be used on routes without electrification.
  • HVO could be used to cut down emissions.
  • The Mark 5a coaches would probably be quieter, as they only have one diesel engine.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step  to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Alternatively, five-car Class 802 trains could be used as replacements for GWR Castles.

Great Western Railway also have the problem of decarbonising services between Bristol/Gloucester and Weymouth/Southampton/Portsmouth.

Great Western Railway look like they’re needing some innovative thinking.

I also suspect a few more battery-electric Class 802 trains would be needed for other routes.

Transport For Wales Rail

Transport for Wales Rail run a Premier Service between Holyhead and Cardiff using Class 67 locomotives and Mark 4 coaches.

According to the Wikipedia entry for Transport for Wales Rail, they have seven sets of 4/5 coaches to run this service.

If Transport for Wales Rail wanted to decarbonise this route, they would need to replace the locomotives for a zero-carbon unit.

Perhaps, their best solution, would be to wait until a suitable hydrogen-powered locomotive is available and buy seven rakes of new coaches with driving van trailers.

Grand Union

Grand Union has a detailed Wikipedia entry, where this is the first paragraph.

Grand Union is a prospective open access operator who are proposing to operate train services in the United Kingdom from England to Wales and Scotland. Grand Union is headed by Ian Yeowart, who founded previous open access operators Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both to Arriva.

That seems a sound foundation.

  • They have permission to run trains between Paddington and Carmarthen starting in December 2024.
  • They have also applied to run trains between Euston and Stirling.
  • They are now backed by Spanish companies; Serena Industrial Partners and Renfe.
  • They are proposing to use nine Mark 4 coaches hauled by Class 93 locomotives.

Consider.

  • CAF has a factory in Wales.
  • CAF has sold trains to Transport for Wales.
  • The Mark 5a coaches will definitely be available by December 2024.
  • Mark 5a coaches could easily be arranged as a rake of eight coaches and a driving van trailer.
  • Grand Union is backed by Spanish companies.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Grand Union were to use sets of CAF-built Mark 5a coaches for their Carmarthen service. And later for their Stirling service.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step  to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

Grand Central

Consider.

  • Grand Central is another open access operator.
  • Grand Central has a mixed fleet of twelve five-car diesel trains.
  • These trains run under electrification on the East Coast Main Line.
  • According to the Wikipedia entry for Grand Central trains, they have plans for expansion across the North and to and from London.
  • Grand Central need to have a plan to decarbonise.
  • HVO could be used to cut down emissions.

A Class 93-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches could be an intermediate step  to full decarbonisation with a hydrogen locomotive.

South Western Railway

South Western Railway have an excellent fleet of new or nearly new trains, with the exception of the diesel Class 158 and Class 159 trains, that work services between Waterloo and Exeter trains via Basingstoke and Salisbury.

  • Waterloo and Exeter is 172 miles.
  • Only the 47.7 miles between Waterloo and Basingstoke is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
  • Train lengths vary between five and eight cars.
  • The current trains date from around 1990 and must need replacing soon.

I wouldn’t be surprised that if after a rebranding with new trains, this could be a popular route.

A version of Hitachi’s ubiquitous bi-mode Class 802 could be used.

But.

  • They would need to be ordered and built.
  • The third-rail gear, would need to be developed and tested.
  • Passengers would be travelling for over two and a half hours with underfloor diesel engines.

An alternative could be a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches.

  • These trains would be available after release from TransPennine Express.
  • They would run in TransPennine Express formation.
  • Length could be adjusted by adding or removing coaches, if required.
  • The noise is all in the locomotive, which is isolated from the passengers.

At some point in the future, the route could be decarbonised by swapping the locomotive for a hydrogen-electric locomotive with the ability to handle third-rail electrification.

ScotRail

ScotRail have a similar problem to Great Western Railway with their short-formation InterCity125s.

  • They have 52 Class 43 locomotives and 120 Mark 3 coaches, which is probably enough for 24 trains.
  • Scotland has substantial amounts of electrification.
  • I feel that a Class 68-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches would be a more than adequate replacement.
  • Class 93 locomotives could be used where routes are partially electrified.
  • Scotland is not going to be short of green hydrogen.

When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be decarbonised.

CrossCountry

CrossCountry have a fleet consisting of the following trains.

  • 5 – 2+7 InterCity125 trains
  • 7 – two-car Class 170 trains
  • 22 – three-car Class 170 trains
  • 34 – four-car Class 220 trains
  • 4 – four-car Class 221 trains
  • 20 – five-car Class 221 trains

Note.

  1. The fleet is all diesel.
  2. I’ll ignore the Class 170 trains in this analysis.
  3. The Class 220 and 221 trains often work in pairs to provide the required capacity.

So how could these trains be decarbonised?

  • The InterCity125s and the Class 220 and 221 trains could be replaced by a locomotive-hauled rake of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.
  • Motive power could be provided by an appropriate Class 68 or 93 locomotive.

When a suitable hydrogen-electric locomotive is available, these trains can be fully decarbonised.

Decarbonisation Of UK Main Line Services

It is generally assumed that the railways of the UK will need to fully decarbonise if the UK and the constituent nations are going to meet their decarbonisation targets.

I believe that my analysis shows that decarbonisation of main line passenger services can be achieved by the purchase of two types of trains.

  • Five-car bi-mode Class 802 trains or similar.
  • Locomotive-hauled rakes of Mark 5a coaches of an appropriate length.

Note.

  1. The Class 802 trains would be mainly to augment existing Hitachi fleets.
  2. Some Class 802 trains would be fitted with batteries instead of diesel generators to handle gaps in the electrification.
  3. The rakes of coaches would be powered by an appropriate locomotive.
  4. The lengths of the rakes of coaches would be adjusted to meet the demand of each service.

Initially, the following locomotives would be used.

  • Class 68 locomotives would be used on unelectrified lines.
  • Class 93 locomotives would be used on full or partially electrified lines.

When the hydrogen-electric locomotives become available, these would take over the routes, which couldn’t be decarbonised by full electrification or by using a Class 93 locomotive.

 

 

 

 

August 31, 2023 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle By Battery-Electric Class 802 Train

After my visit to Morley station, which I wrote about in Morley Station – 17th August 2023, in this post, I look at how a battery-electric Class 802 train might run between Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle stations.

These are the various sections of the route.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 31.6 miles – 36 minutes – Electrified
  • Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 25.7 miles – 30 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – 7 minutes – Currently Being Electrified
  • Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.1 miles – 14 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Leeds and York – 25.8 miles – 30 minutes – Currently Being Electrified
  • York and Newcastle – 80.2 miles – 58 minutes – Electrified

Note.

  1. Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria, Leeds and York and York and Newcastle are all long enough to fully charge a battery-electric train.
  2. There is electrification of both ends of the route.
  3. Manchester Victoria and York is a distance of 68.6 miles.
  4. The total route length is a distance of 180.4 miles.

In the August 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled GWR Seeks Opportunities To Grow.

This is the sub-heading.

Managing Director Mark Hopwood tells Philip Sherratt there is plenty of potential to increase rail’s economic contribution.

This is a paragraph.

Meanwhile, GWR had announced plans with Eversholt Rail to trial the replacement of a diesel generator unit with batteries on a Class 802 IET. However, Mr. Hopwood says this would not be useful for GWR and so the trial is not proceeding; instead, a TransPennine Express Class 802 will be the subject of a battery trial.

Could the trial be conducted on TransPennine Express’s Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle route?

  • The total route length is a distance of 180.4 miles.
  • The two electrified sections at the ends of the route; Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria and York and Newcastle are both long enough to fully charge a battery-electric train.
  • The central section between Manchester Victoria and York is not overly long at 68.6 miles.
  • The route is convenient for Hitachi’s headquarters at Newton Aycliffe.

It looks like, the Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle route would make an ideal test route for battery-electric Class 802 trains.

Manchester Piccadilly And Newcastle By Battery-Electric Class 802 Train

This is a very similar route to the Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle route with a different Western terminal.

These are the various sections of the route.

  • Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield – 25.5 miles – 42 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – 10 minutes – Currently Being Electrified
  • Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.1 miles – 14 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Leeds and York – 25.8 miles – 30 minutes – Currently Being Electrified
  • York and Newcastle – 80.2 miles – 58 minutes – Electrified

Note.

  1. Turnround time at Manchester Piccadilly and York and Newcastle are all long enough to fully charge a battery-electric train.
  2. There is electrification of both ends of the route.
  3. Manchester Piccadilly and York is a distance of 68.4 miles.
  4. The total route length is a distance of 148.5 miles.

Like the Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle route, I believe the Manchester Piccadilly And Newcastle route would make an ideal test route for battery-electric Class 802 trains.

 

August 18, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Morley Station – 17th August 2023

These pictures show Morley station, which is currently being upgraded.

I was rather surprised at the lack of any sign of electrification.

There was no sign of any gantries for overhead electrification, either installed or ready to installed.

In Is There Going To Be Full Electrification Between Leeds And Huddersfield?, I said this.

I have now found this document on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury).

This statement is included under proposals.

Electrification of the railway from Huddersfield to Ravensthorpe – and right through to Leeds.

Because there is a dash in the words, has electrification to Leeds, been a recent addition?

I also showed this map, that I have copied from the Network Rail document

Note the railway lines shown in red. Are these the ones to be electrified? As they go from Huddersfield to Westtown, I think the answer is probably in the affirmative.

Surely, if there were going to be electrification through Morley, they’d have at least put the gantries up by now or installed the bases for them by now?

These are some distances from Real Time Trains.

  • Leeds and Morley – 4.6 miles
  • Morley and Dewsbury – 5,5 miles
  • Dewsbury and Huddersfield 8 miles

Note.

  1. Leeds and Dewsbury are only 10.1 miles apart, which would be an easy journey for a battery-electric train.
  2. Trains typically take eighteen minutes between Dewsbury and Huddersfield, which would surely be more than enough time to charge the batteries on a train.
  3. It also appears that the only trains through Morley station are passenger services run by TransPennine Express or Northern Trains.

It certainly looks to me, that the section of the route between Dewsbury and Leeds though Morley station is to be run using battery-electric trains.

August 18, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | 3 Comments

Could East Midland Railway’s Leicester And Lincoln Service Be Extended To Burton On Trent?

After my trip to Lincoln and Cleethorpes earlier this week, I got to thinking about how train services could be improved in the area.

Cleethorpes As A Battery-Electric Train Hub Station

In Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023, this was my last sentence.

Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.

Services running to Cleethorpes station could be.

  • East Midlands Railway – Barton-on-Humber and Cleethorpes via Barrow Haven, New Holland, Goxhill, Thornton Abbey, Ulceby, Habrough, Stallingborough, Healing, Great Coates, Grimsby Town, Grimsby Docks and New Clee, which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Barton-on-Humber and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.
  • East Midlands Railway – Leicester and Cleethorpes via Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Collingham, Swinderby, Hykeham, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town which currently runs two-hourly, but probably should run hourly. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is not planned to be electrified and is 77.8 miles.
  • LNER – London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which would run at least two trains per day (tpd). Newark Northgate and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 60.6 miles.
  • TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Liverpool South Parkway, Warrington Central, Birchwood, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town, which runs hourly. Hazel Grove and Grimsby Town is not electrified and is 101.4 miles.

Note.

  1. All services to Cleethorpes could be run using a battery-electric train, with the range of a Stadler FLIRT Akku, which is 139 miles.
  2. Cleethorpes station will soon have four terminal platforms. Could it be one platform for each service?
  3. The 3.3 miles of single-track electrification would be between Cleethorpes and Grimsby stations.
  4. I am assuming that all services should be at least hourly, except London King’s Cross.
  5. If the frequency of services to London King’s Cross, were to be increased, the extra services would take-over paths of the East Midlands Railway services between Lincoln and Cleethorpes.
  6. I am also assuming that the Midland Main Line electrification has been completed through Leicester to Nottingham, as is currently planned.

Cleethorpes will become a very well-connected station.

Collateral Benefits Of Cleethorpes As A Fossil Fuel-Free Station

If all services to Cleethorpes are run by battery-electric trains, then there will be collateral benefits.

  • All passenger train services in North-East Lincolnshire will be zero-carbon.
  • TransPennine Express’s Southern route between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes via Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster will be zero-carbon.
  • LNER’s services to London King’s Cross from Lincolnshire will be zero carbon.

Manchester and Sheffield will be linked by an hourly electric service, just as it was between 1953 and 1981.

The Ivanhoe Line

I wrote about the Ivanhoe Line in Reinstatement Of The Ivanhoe Line.

  • There is a proposed reinstatement of passenger services between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent stations.
  • I estimate it’s a distance of around 37 miles.
  • There would be some new stations on the route.

In the Wikipedia entry for the Ivanhoe Line, there is a section called Future, where this is said.

The intermediate stations are capable of taking only a two-coach train, which has led to overcrowding on some services, especially now that the service is extended to Nottingham and Lincoln. The latest Route Utilisation Strategy for the East Midlands makes recommendations for platform lengthening.

East Midlands Parkway railway station has now been built on the route. The Borough of Charnwood’s local plan of 2004 anticipates a station at Thurmaston.

In 2022 the closed section of the line was one of nine schemes chosen to undergo a feasibility scrutiny by Network Rail as part of the government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. If approved, work could start in 2024 and the line reopened in 2026

Note.

  1. The first paragraph refers to the existing section of the Ivanhoe Line, to the North of Leicester.
  2. I went to Burton once for the football and it’s a difficult place to get to from North London by train.
  3. Burton-on-Trent station was fully refurbished in 2011.
  4. Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services from CrossCountry trains.

It seems that a creditable plan is emerging.

Service Frequency Between Burton-on-Trent And Leicester

As Burton-on-Trent station has hourly services, I suspect that this will be the initial frequency between Burton-on-Trent and Leicester.

But I could see this frequency being increased, if there were long waits during interchange at Burton-on-Trent.

Average Speed Of The Service And Estimate For A Time Between Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent

The current Grimsby Town and Leicester service is over a route of 105.3 miles and a direct service takes two hours and thirty-seven minutes.

This is an average speed of 40.24 mph.

I can now give an estimate for a Cleethorpes and Burton-on-Trent service.

The distance will be 105.3+3.3+37, which is 145.6 miles.

An estimate of the time using a speed of 40.24 mph is three hours and thirty-seven minutes.

But seeing that a good proportion of the route has a 110 mph operating speed, I suspect that a 100 mph train could do the trip faster.

Could Cleethorpes And Burton-on-Trent Be Worked By A Battery-Electric Train?

The route could be effectively four sections.

  • Cleethorpes and Grimsby Town – 3.3 miles – Electrified
  • Grimsby Town and Nottingham – 77.8 miles – Not Electrified
  • Nottingham and Leicester – 27.5 miles – Being Electrified
  • Leicester and Burton-on-Trent – 37 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

  1. In a round trip, there are two sections of 77.8 miles and two consecutive sections of 37 miles.
  2. Battery-electric trains would be charged on the electrified section of the route.

I am sure that a battery-electric train with a range of greater than 77.8 miles would handle the service.

July 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Locomotive Named After A Cat

As I arrived in Cleethorpes station, there was a Class 68 locomotive in Platform 1.

It is named after Felix; the station cat at Huddersfield station.

 

 

June 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Cleethorpes Station – 28th June 2023

I took these pictures at Cleethorpes station yesterday.

Compare them with this one taken three years ago.

Note.

  1. It appears a Platform 4 has been created on the seaward side of the station.
  2. The track in Platform 4 in yesterday’s pictures appears to be newly-ballasted, whereas three years ago it had an air of dereliction.
  3. There is now a smart blue wooden fence separating the tracks from the station concourse.
  4. Strangely, the lighting between Platforms 3 and 4 had been installed three years ago.
  5. There are different types of lighting on the two islands. Could this be because Network Rail are looking for the lights that perform best in a seaside environment?

This Google Map shows Cleethorpes station.

Note.

  1. The track in Platform 4 appears to be complete.
  2. The station is very handy for the beach.

In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I said this.

It looks like three platforms 2, 3 and 4 at Cleethorpes station were checked.

I think it is possible to say, that once Network Rail’s brickies and paviours have tidied up, that Cleethorpes station will be LNER-ready and could accept a service from London via Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.

What Will Be The Initial Service Of The London and Cleethorpes Service?

The Wikipedia entry for Cleethorpes station, says this about the London service.

In the 1970s Cleethorpes had a twice daily return service to London King’s Cross, typically hauled by a Class 55 Deltic.

Three people, I spoke to about the possible service, mentioned that two trains per day would be the frequency.

I certainly think, that this frequency, could be a sensible initial frequency.

If it worked in the 1970s, I can see why it might work in the 2020s.

  • Kids still like to go to the seaside and the station is close.
  • This area of North-East Lincolnshire, is getting increasingly important as an energy and hydrogen powerhouse.
  • Cleethorpes station has the space to handle more train services.
  • Cleethorpes station has a small depot nearby, which could ease train operations, by stabling a train overnight for an early start in the morning.

But there is one factor that could attract passengers to use the train between King’s Cross and Cleethorpes. I believe that the soon-to-be-announced Hitachi battery-electric Class 800 trains could be able to handle the route without using a drop of fossil fuel.

Running Battery-Electric Class 800 trains Between King’s Cross And Cleethorpes

Consider.

  • Cleethorpes and Lincoln is 47.2 miles with three stops.
  • Lincoln and Newark Northgate, where the electrification starts is 16.7 files.
  • Cleethorpes and Newark Northgate is 63.9 miles, with an out-and-back trip being 127.8 miles.
  • Battery-electric trains would do most of their charging between King’s Cross and Newark Northgate.
  • Full or partial charging should be possible at both Cleethorpes and Lincoln.
  • Battery-electric trains could give help, in cases of catenary failure on the East Coast Main Line.
  • In What Will Be The Range Of A Hitachi Class 800 Battery Train?, I said that I believed a Class 800 battery train would eventually have a battery range in excess of the Stadler FLIRT Akku’s 139 miles, as no-one likes being second.

I believe these strategies are possible.

Charge A Round Trip At Cleethorpes

Consider.

  • This is a range of just 63.9 miles.
  • The service would use Platform 4 at Cleethorpes station.
  • Charging at Cleethorpes could be by a short length of overhead electrification in Cleethorpes station or a specialist charger in the small depot.
  • Charge time would be around 15 minutes.
  • If charging were in the station, there would be no shunting of trains around.

This could be a simple and efficient way to run the service.

A Battery Round Trip To Cleethorpes

  • This is a range of 127.8 miles.
  • The service would use Platform 4 at Cleethorpes station.
  • I believe that this service would need a simple charger at Cleethorpes station, as trains do get delayed and these delays on a battery-electric train, may increase the need for charging.
  • Also what would happen in Grimsby Town were at home to a London club in the FA Cup?

This could be a reliable way to run the service, but I believe drivers need a charging facility at Cleethorpes as a fail-safe backup.

Electrification Between Grimsby Town And Cleethorpes

In Between Lincoln And Cleethorpes – 28th June 2023, I said this.

3.3 miles between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes took just ten minutes.

All trains terminating at Cleethorpes would get at least twenty minutes of charging, every time, they turned round at the station.

Much of the route between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes is only single-track, so this could be a very affordable option.

I don’t think there would be many objectors to electrifying between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes.

An hourly train would use twenty minutes in ever hour between Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes, it looks like the limit would be three trains per hour terminating at Cleethorpes.

So could the three trains be the following?

  • One train to Liverpool Lime Street.
  • One train to Lincoln, with alternate trains continuing to Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester and some trains to Kings Cross.
  • One train to Barton-on-Humber.

Note.

  1. The Liverpool Lime Street train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Hazel Grove, which is 101.4 miles.
  2. A London King’s Cross train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Newark Northgate, which is 60.6 miles.
  3. A Leicester train, could use batteries between Grimsby Town and Leicester, which is 105.3 miles. Nottingham and Grimsby Town is 77.8 miles.
  4. Leicester and Nottingham services would need electrification at the Western end.
  5. King;s Cross, Leicester and Nottingham services would be arranged so Lincoln and Cleethorpes was an hourly service.
  6. A Barton-on-Humber train, would use batteries between Grimsby Town and Barton-on-Humber , which is 19.6 miles or 39.2 miles for a round trip.

Cleethorpes station could be at the centre of its own battery-electric train network, with all trains powered by just 3.3 miles of single-track electrification.

 

June 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Lack Of Phone Charging On East Midlands Railways

I arrived at Lincoln station yesterday, after my trip from London, with a full battery on my phone, as LNER trains have charging points. But by the time I left Cleethorpes station to come home, my phone was dead, as I suspect the latest version of a news app, I use is a battery drainer.

There were also no charging points on TransPennine’s Class 185 trains or East Midlands Railways Class 170 trains.

Only, when I boarded a British Rail-era Class 158 train to get to Peterborough, was I able to recharge my phone.

There is surely a need for phone chargers on every train.

 

June 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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