250,000 Seats A Day On The WCML?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Engineer.
These are the first three paragraphs.
In the Parliamentary debate on the cancellation of HS2 phase 2, Transport Minister Mark Harper claimed that what remains of HS2 will deliver “a massive increase in capacity to the West Coast Main Line (WCML)” by providing 250,000 seats a day. This figure was subsequently repeated by the Prime Minister and Rail Minister who advised that it applies “across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast.”
Yet without HS2 phase 2a, there is to be no WCML capacity increase north of Lichfield. Furthermore, with no HS2 station in Manchester it will not be possible to run the planned two-unit 400-metre HS2 trains to the city. Instead, there can only be single 200-metre unit HS2 trains which are shorter than the current 265-metre Pendolino trains.
Furthermore, 250,000 seats a day is equivalent to running 17 x 605-seat Pendolinos an hour, 24 hours a day. This is clearly not credible.
Note.
- The writer’s assumptions about Manchester are correct.
- Liverpool Lime Street is already is already HS2-ready for trains between Crewe and London, after the recent upgrade.
- Liverpool Lime Street will certainly be able to take two London trains per hour (tph), which can only be single 200-metre unit HS2 trains.
- Liverpool Lime Street may be able to take a third London train per hour.
These are my thoughts.
Current Services
Current services include.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham New Street – 2 trains per day (tpd)
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street – 5 tpd
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street – 7 tpd
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Birmingham New Street – 1 tph
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead – 10 tpd
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph – Increasing to 2 tph.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport – 1 tph
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent and Stockport – 1 tph
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport – 1 tph
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central – 1 tph.
- West Midlands Trains – London and Birmingham New Street – 2 tph
- West Midlands Trains – London and Crewe – 1 tph
- West Midlands Trains – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph
It looks like there are eight Avanti West Coast tph and two West Midlands Trains tph between Stafford and Crewe.
High Speed Two Services
This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.
Note.
- Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
- Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
- Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
- The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
- In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.
- Was Lancaster chosen as it’s close to the new Eden Project Morecambe?
Click on the diagram to enlarge it.
The Author’s Assumption
The author has made these assumptions.
- Current West Coast Main Line capacity North of Lichfield; Avanti West Coast – 8 tph, West Midlands – 1 tph and freight trains – 4 tph
- HS2 offers no extra capacity North of Lichfield.
- Max capacity ; Old Oak Common – 8 tph and London Euston – 10 tph.
- 400-metre long trains North of Birmingham ; Min – 1 tph to Edinburgh/Glasgow
- 400-metre long trains North of Birmingham ; Max – plus 3 tph to Liverpool/Manchester
- Trains operate a maximum of 14 hours per day.
I would add.
- All pairs of 200-metre long trains split and join at Crewe.
- Birmingham Curzon Street has seven platforms.
- Lancaster and Macclesfield have long bay platforms, that can handle 200-metre trains
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly have two platforms, that can handle 200-metre trains.
- I suspect
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly could both handle four 200-metre trains tph hour – Three for London and one for Birmingham.
There is a surprising amount of capacity in the North.
The Author’s Minimum Plan For HS1 – Phase 1
I think his minimum plan is as follows.
- Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
- Old Oak Common and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- Old Oak Common and Liverpool Lime Street – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Old Oak Common and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Old Oak Common and Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
- Old Oak Common and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
Note.
- 400-metre long trains are a pair of 200-metre long trains, that can split and join.
- This fulfils all the requirements of the original HS2 timetable for Phase 1.
- The total is nine tph and Old Oak Common can only handle 8 tph.
- Perhaps, the Liverpool Lime Street service could be a Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly service, that splits at Crewe?
I think it could work with London having the following services.
- Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
- Birmingham International – 400-metre long trains – 4 tph
- Carlisle – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Crewe – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
- Edinburgh Waverley – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Glasgow Central – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Lancaster – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- Liverpool Lime Street – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
- Macclesfield – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2/3 tph
- Preston – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
- Stafford – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Warrington Bank Quay – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- Wigan North Western – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
Services care as good or better than the current services.
The Author’s Maximum Plan For HS1 – Phase 1
I think his maximum plan is as follows.
- London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400-metre long trains – 3 tph
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200-metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 200-metre long trains – 2 tph
- London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400-metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
Note.
- 400-metre long trains are a pair of 200-metre long trains, that can split and join.
- This fulfils all the requirements of the original HS2 timetable for Phase 1.
- That is nine tph and London Euston can handle 10 tph.
- Perhaps, a tenth train could serve Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central with a split at Crewe.
It should work.
Could High Speed Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street And Manchester Piccadilly Services Be Provided With A Reverse At Birmingham Curzon Street?
A train would take this route.
- A 400 metre long train would leave London and go to Birmingham Curzon Street.
- At Birmingham Curzon Street the train would reverse and travel to Crewe.
- At Crewe the train would split with separate trains going to Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.
Note.
- Automation could be used extensively to do the joining and splitting.
- The train would have an onboard team of drivers, so all joins, reverses and splits are performed as fast as possible.
- A local service could be paired with each train, so that intermediate stations on the Liverpool and Manchester branches had excellent connections to Birmingham and the South.
Suppose the maximum plan is now as follows.
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 3 tph – Reverses at Birmingham Curzon Street – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Lancaster – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400 metre long trains – 2 tph – Splits at Crewe.
Note.
- Birmingham Curzon Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly would all get four tph to and from London.
- Birmingham Curzon Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly would all get one tph to and from London, that could be non-stop and didn’t join, reverse or split.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool Lime Street would have a three tph service.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly would have a three tph service.
- Lancaster, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and other stations would get the originally-promised service to and from London.
- That is ten tph to and from London Euston and the station can handle that number of trains.
It should work.
Could High Speed Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central Services Be Provided With A Reverse At Birmingham Curzon Street?
In the previous section, I showed how, three tph between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly could be provided with a reverse at Birmingham Curzon Street.
So could the fourth train between London and Birmingham Curzon Street take this route?
- A 400 metre long train would leave London and go to Birmingham Curzon Street.
- At Birmingham Curzon Street the train would reverse and travel to Crewe, or another station, where the split can be performed.
- The train would split with separate trains going to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.
Note.
- They would use the current paths used by Avanti West Coast Birmingham and Scotland services along the West Coast Main Line.
- This would give a third train to both Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.
It certainly appears that by using a reverse at Birmingham Curzon Street, more capacity can be created on the West Coast Main Line/HS2 route.
Could High Speed Two Serve North Wales?
It finally looks like the North Wales Coast Lines will finally be electrified.
- Would this allow a 200 metre long train to run all the way to Holyhead for the boats to Ireland?
- There could be a join and split at Crewe with another train.
- Chester would also be served by HS2.
It would create a zero-carbon route to Ireland.
What Would Be The Daily Number Of Passengers Carried?
The maximum plan could now be as follows.
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 3 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central via Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent – 200 metre long trains – 1 tph
- London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly/Holyhead – 400 metre long trains – 1 tph – Splits at Crewe.
- London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central – 400 metre long trains – 2 tph – Splits at Crewe.
Note.
- There are eight 400 metre long trains and one 200 metre long trains in both directions.
- A 200 metre long train hold 550 passengers.
- There are seventeen 200 metre long tph in both directions.
- Trains operate a maximum of 14 hours per day.
The number of passengers per day is 261,800.
Did A Day In A Class 350 Train Lower My INR?
Yesterday, I went to Birmingham to take pictures of the rebuilt Birmingham University station.
- I travelled by West Midlands Trains catching the 11:23 to Birmingham New Street station, where it arrived at 13:45.
- Coming home, I caught the 15:36 from Birmingham New Street station, which arrived in Euston at 17:49.
So I spent nearly four and a half hours in the train.
This morning, when I measured my INR, it was only 1.8.
Did the weather and the train’s air-conditioning conspire to lower my INR by removing water from my body?
Could Open Access Operators Use High Speed Two?
In Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line, I suggested the Grand Union Trains might like to run their service between London Euston and Stirling via High Speed Two.
But would this be a feasible idea?
These are my thoughts.
What Is An Open Access Operator?
The Wikipedia entry for Open-Access Operator, provide this answer.
In rail transport, an open-access operator is an operator that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and, in countries where rail services run under franchises, are not subject to franchising.
It then lists fifty-four operators in fifteen countries.
As the companies, who provide the services take full commercial risk and don’t get a subsidy from the taxpayer, I don’t see why, that providing, the operator can get the paths, they should be allowed to operate.
If they fail, then that’s the operator’s problem.
Are Any Paths Available On High Speed Two?
These are High Speed Two services as originally planned.
Since the Eastern Leg was cancelled, the following has happened.
- There are only eleven trains per hour (tph) between London Euston and Birmingham Interchange.
- There are only ten tph between Birmingham and Crewe.
- There is one tph between Birmingham and Macclesfield via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
Note.
The Trent Valley Line section between Stafford and Crewe is 24.3 miles.
The Trent Valley Line between Handsacre Junction and Crewe is nearly all four tracks.
Currently, this section carries these fast trains.
- Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Blackpool North, Edinburgh or Glasgow via Birmingham New Street.
- Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to North Wales
- Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street
- Avanti West Coast – 2 tph – London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly
- Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to Scotland
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – London Euston to Crewe.
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Stafford to Crewe.
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street.
This totals nine tph and will be 10 tph, when a second London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street is added.
When High Speed Two opens between London Euston and Birmingham Curzon and Handsacre Junction, trains between London Euston and Liverpool, Manchester, the North and Scotland will switch to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre Junction.
The Trent Valley Line section between Stafford and Crewe will carry these fast trains.
- Avanti West Coast – 1 tph – London Euston to North Wales
- High Speed Two – 2 tph – London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street
- High Speed Two – 3 tph – London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly
- High Speed Two – 2 tph – London Euston to Scotland
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street to Scotland
- High Speed Two – 2 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street to Manchester Piccadilly
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – London Euston to Crewe.
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Stafford to Crewe.
- West Midlands Trains – 1 tph – Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street
Note.
- This totals to ten tph for High Speed Two, 1 tph for Avanti West Coast and the tph for West Midlands Trains.
- There is no service to Blackpool.
- It looks to me that the London Euston to North Wales should, as soon as the North Wales Coast Line is electrified become a High Speed Two service.
- Should the Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street service be replaced with a High Speed Two from Birmingham Curzon Street to Liverpool Lime Street?
There is plenty of paths South of Handsacre Junction on High Speed Two to accommodate a few services to Blackpool and an open access operator like Grand Union Trains, who have been given permission to run a service to Stirling.
Conclusion
My rough calculation says that open access services could be fitted in on the latest variant of High Speed Two.
In Mayors Propose New Staffordshire To Manchester Rail Line, the two Andies; Burnham and Street proposed that the Handsacre Junction and Manchester Airport section of High Speed Two should be built.
If this should happen, then it would open up several possibilities for open access services for the North.
Carew Castle Express Unveiled In Carmarthen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail UK.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The ‘Carew Castle Express’ has been unveiled to mark the introduction of brand-new Transport for Wales (TfW) trains between Swansea and Carmarthen.
Named as part of TfW’s Magnificent Train Journey competition, the name ‘Carew Castle Express’ was chosen by year 5 pupil Rhys Protheroe from Johnstown Primary School in Carmarthen.
But perhaps, this extract is the most significant statement in the article.
Soon every service west of Carmarthen will be on one of the brand-new trains.
Alexia Course, chief commercial officer for TfW, said: “We’re excited to be running our brand-new trains in West Wales and we’re adding more to our network every few weeks.
CAF and TfW don’t seem to be hanging about in getting these new trains into service.
But then, I suspect some of the trains they replace, will be going to the scrapyard in Newport.
How Will These Trains Be Decarbonised?
My one worry is that these Class 197 trains and the similar Class 195 trains at Northern and the Class 196 trains at West Midlands Trains are diesel powered.
Nothing has been said about how these 141 trains will be decarbonised.
But all three fleets have the same Rolls-Royce mtu 6H 1800 R85L engines, so at least one solution will fit all!
A Thought About LNER’s New Trains
These trains appear to have been delivered quickly.
Did this influence the decision of LNER to buy CAF trains for their fleet expansion?
Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?
Stafford station is where the Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line and with the current proposals for High Speed Two, which I refer to as High Speed Two Light, it will also have to handle those High Speed Two services to and from Crewe.
Current Services Through Stafford Station
These are current services through Stafford station.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
- West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- tph is trains per hour.
- Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 8 tph.
- Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 4 tph.
- North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 4 tph.
- South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 14 tpd and 4 tph.
- Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 3 tph.
Stafford is a very busy station.
Services have these frequencies from Stafford.
- Crewe – 21 tpd and 3 tph.
- Stoke-on-Trent – 3 tph.
- London Euston – 23 tpd and 4 tph.
- Wolverhampton – 13 tpd and 4 tph.
Could Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford do with a few extra services?
High Speed Two Services Through Stafford Station
This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.
Note.
- Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
- Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
These could be High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
Note.
- Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tph.
- Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
- North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
- Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 1 tph.
There are a lot of trains to squeeze through. But remember that High Speed Two signalling is designed to handle 18 tph.
Combined Services Through Stafford Station
These could be the combined current High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
- West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
Note.
- Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 19 tph.
- Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 15 tph.
- North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 15 tph.
- Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 4 tph.
But there are duplicate services.
High Speed Two services to Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland, will replace Avanti West Coast services.
High Speed Two services between Birmingham and Manchester, will replace CrossCountry services.
Removing these current services gives.
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
- West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
- High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
- High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
Note.
- Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
- Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
- North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
- South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
- Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.
With these frequencies, I suspect digital signalling will be needed.
Services have these frequencies from Stafford.
- Crewe – 11 tpd and 5 tph.
- Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph.
- London Euston – 11 tpd and 4 tph.
- Wolverhampton – 3 tpd and 2 tph.
Note.
- Stoke-on-Trent needs more trains.
- There is virtually no trains on the West Coast Main Line to the South of Stafford.
- The frequencies indicate digital signalling will be needed.
On this brief look, I think that High Speed Two Lite will open up a lot of possibilities.
Thoughts On Rail Capacity Between London And The North
This is just a rough calculation to see how many trains can be run between London and the North.
I shall do the calculation by station.
Euston
Trains are.
- Avanti – Birmingham – 1 tph (trains per hour)
- Avanti – Blackpool North – 1 tpd (trains per day)
- Avanti – Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd
- Avanti – Edinburgh via Birmingham – 1 tp2h – (trains per two hours)
- Avanti – Glasgow – 1 tph
- Avanti – Glasgow via Birmingham – 5 tpd
- Avanti – Holyhead – 8 tpd
- Avanti – Liverpool – 1 tph
- Avanti – Manchester – 3 tph
- WMT – Birmingham – 2 tph
- WMT – Crewe – 1 tph
This gives totals of 9 tph, 1 tp2h and 16 tpd
King’s Cross
Trains are.
- Grand Central – Bradford – 4 tpd
- Grand Central – Sunderland – 6 tpd
- Hull Trains – Beverley – 2 tpd
- Hull Trains – Hull – 5 tpd
- LNER – Bradford- 2 tpd
- LNER – Edinburgh – 3 tp2h
- LNER – Harrogate – 1 tp2h
- LNER – Hull – 1 tpd
- LNER – Leeds – 3 tp2h
- LNER – Lincoln – 1 tp2h
- LNER – Middlesbrough – 1 tpd
- LNER – Skipton – 1 tpd
- LNER – Sunderland – 1 tpd
- LNER – York- 1 tp2h
- Lumo – Edinburgh – 5 tpd
This gives totals of 9 tp2h and 28 tpd
Marylebone
Trains are.
- Chiltern – Birmingham – 2 tph
This gives totals of 2 tph
St. Pancras
Trains are.
- EMR – Corby – two tph
- EMR – Nottingham – two tph
- EMR – Sheffield- two tph
This gives totals of 6 tph
Grand Totals
Grand totals are 17 tph, 10 tp2h and 44 tpd
I will assume.
- 10 tp2h is equivalent to 5 tph.
- 44 tpd is equivalent to 3 tph if trains start journeys between 0600 and 2100.
This means that currently, there is the equivalent of 25 tph between London and the North.
The Effect Of High Speed Two
The capacity of High Speed Two is 17 tph, so, that appears to be a 68 % increase in paths to the North.
Consider.
- Assume we need 25 tph between London and the North.
- 17 tph will be on High Speed Two.
- 8 tph will be on classic routes like the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line.
- High Speed Two trains are 400 metres long.
- Current trains are about 240 metres long.
I have done a weighted calculation, which shows that passenger capacity between London and the North, will increase by around 45 %.
High Speed Two will surely release paths between London and the North on the classic routes, that could accommodate somewhere around 17 tph.
These could be used for.
- Services not suitable for High Speed Two
- New services
- Freight services
- Open access services
There is a lot of capacity that can be reused.
What Will Happen To Classic Routes Between London And The North?
Consider.
- The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster, is being upgraded with full digital signalling to allow running at up to 140 mph and increased train frequencies.
- Similar upgrades will be surely be applied to the other classic routes between London and the North.
- Important destinations, that will not be served by High Speed Two, like Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Luton, Milton Keynes and Peterborough could be given high speed connections, to Birmingham, London and Manchester.
- The East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line will all be electrified with some sections of quadruple track in a few years.
- Currently, the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line are mainly 125 mph lines and these could be upgraded to 140 mph with digital signalling.
I could envisage the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line being developed into a secondary 140 mph network based on the existing stations lines and services.
Conclusion
High Speed Two is going to have a lot of collateral benefits in Middle England.
GWR And Vivarail
This is an attempt to make some sense about what is happening between GWR and the assets of Vivarail.
These are some random thoughts.
Ongoing Maintenance Of Existing Trains
Currently, there are four operators in the UK, with various types of Vivarail‘s Class 230 trains.
- Great Western Railway – 1 – Infrastructure under construction for trial on the Greenford Branch.
- Island Line – 5 – In operation.
- Transport for Wales – 5 – Undergoing testing prior to entering service.
- West Midlands Trains – 3 – Withdrawn from service indefinitely in December 2022.
Note.
- West Midlands Trains withdrew the trains because of uncertainty about the servicing of the trains.
- West Midlands Trains are getting complaints about the bus replacement service.
- All operators will probably need assistance to service the trains.
- Great Western Railway and Island Line are First Group companies.
Could First Group have got in first, so they can protect their interests with a professional Vivarail train maintenance organisation?
Mark Hopwood
In Special Train Offers A Strong Case For Reopening Fawley Line, I said this.
This is another quote from the Rail Magazine article.
However, SWR’s Mark Hopwood favours a much bolder plan. “We’d have to take a decision, once we knew the line was going ahead. But my personal belief is that we should be looking for a modern environmentally-friendly train that can use third-rail electricity between Southampton and Totton and maybe operate on batteries down the branch line.”
Pressed on whether that would mean Vivarail-converted former-London Underground stock, Hopwood adds. “It could be. Or it could be a conversion of our own Class 456, which will be replaced by new rolling stock very shortly. But I don’t think this is the time to use old diesels.
Mark Hopwood is now the Managing Director of Great Western Railway and he seems to be in favour of battery-electric trains. I agree totally with his statement about old diesels.
Mark Hopwood And The Cholsey And Wallingford Branch
According to LinkedIn, Mark Hopwood is also the President at the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
- This is a two-and-a-half mile long standard gauge heritage railway.
- It used to be a branch line, that served the town of Wallingford.
- It connects to the Great Western Main Line in a bay platform at Cholsey station.
- Wallingford station has now been demolished.
- The heritage railway uses a new site on the south side of St. Johns Road.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the branch line.
Note.
- Cholsey station and the Great Western Main Line is in the South-Western corner of the map.
- The current Wallingford station is in the North-Eastern corner.
- The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is shown in yellow.
This Google Map shows Cholsey station.
Note.
- There are four through platforms for Great Western Railway services.
- Platforms 1 and 2 for the fast services are on the Western side.
- Platforms 3 and 4 for the slow services are on the Eastern side.
- Bay Platform 5 is tucked in the North-East corner of the station and is the terminus for services on the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway.
- There are only 55 parking spaces.
Is the number of parking spaces sufficient for the station, if a lot of passengers drive from Wallingford?
Could a commercial service run between Cholsey and Wallingford?
Consider.
- Wallingford is a town of nearly twelve thousand people.
- Cholsey station has two trains per hour (tph) between Paddington and Didcot Parkway stations, with extra services between Oxford and Reading stations in the Peaks.
- There is only limited parking at Cholsey station.
- Most GWR branch lines are run by an hourly service.
- I feel that two-car battery-electric train could provide one or two tph on the branch.
- Charging would probably be needed at only one end of the branch line.
- As all the through lines at Cholsey station are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires, I suspect that charging would be provided at that station.
A two-car battery-electric train could probably provide a commercial service on this branch, if the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway wanted a revenue stream.
First Group Services That Could Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains
These Great Western Railway and South Western Railway services might be suitable for battery-electric services.
- Newbury and Bedwyn – Newbury is electrified.
- West Ealing and Greenford – West Ealing is electrified.
- Slough and Windsor and Eton Central – Slough is electrified.
- Maidenhead and Marlow – Maidenhead is electrified.
- Twyford and Henley-on-Thames – Twyford is electrified.
- Reading and Gatwick Airport – Partially electrified.
- Reading and Redhill – Partially electrified.
- Reading and Basingstoke – Partially electrified.
- Didcot Parkway and Oxford – Didcot Parkway is electrified.
- Weston-super-Mare and Severn Beach – No electrification.
- Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth – No electrification.
- Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood – No electrification.
- Bristol Temple Meads and Portishead – Proposed – No electrification.
- Swindon and Westbury – Swindon is electrified.
- Exmouth and Paignton – No electrification.
- Exeter Central and Okehampton – No electrification.
- Exeter Central and Barnstaple – No electrification.
- Plymouth and Gunnislake – No electrification.
- Liskeard and Looe – No electrification.
- Par and Newquay – No electrification.
- Truro and Falmouth Docks – No electrification.
- St. Erth and St. Ives- No electrification.
- Romsey and Salisbury – Partially electrified.
- Southampton Central and Fawley – Proposed – Partially electrified.
Note.
- Most services are one or two tph or less.
- Reading and Basingstoke, Didcot Parkway and Oxford, Exmouth and Paignton, and Romsey and Salisbury are 2 tph.
- I have included the proposed Bristol Temple Meads and Portishead and Southampton Central and Fawley services.
- All electrification is 25 KVAC overhead except for the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport via Redhill, and Romsey and Salisbury, which are 750 VDC third rail.
There are a total of 24 services. As each 2 tph service will need two trains and the North Downs services probably six, a rough calculation, indicates there would need to be a minimum of over thirty trains, to convert all these services to battery-electric operation.
This simple analysis makes Mark Hopwood’s enthusiasm, that I quoted earlier understandable.
The Requirement For First Group Battery-Electric Trains
Consider.
- Most of the services can accommodate three or four-car trains.
- A few services can only be run with two-car trains.
- Some services will need running with 25 KVAC overhead electrification for operation or deploying to and from the depot.
- Some services will need running with 750 VDC third-rail electrification for operation or deploying to and from the depot.
- A modern interior with or without a fully-accessible toilet is needed.
- Ability to recharge in a platform fitted with electrification or a charging system in under ten minutes.
- A reasonable cruising speed where electrification is needed for deployment.
This suggests to me, that two train types will be needed.
- A Vivarail-style two-car train for branches like West Ealing and Greenford and Southampton Central and Fawley.
- A three- or four-car dual-voltage electric multiple unit, based on something like an Alstom Aventra, a Bombardier Electrostar or a British Rail-era Class 321 train.
The Class 321 train could be ideal.
- It is a 100 mph train.
- It is a four-car train, that can be shortened to three-cars.
- Versions are available for both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- Some have been converted to a modern Renatus interior, with a fully-accessible toilet.
- Greater Anglia have run Class 321 Renatus trains between London and Norwich.
- The Class 321 Renatus trains are fitted with a modern AC-based traction system.
- Eversholt Rail and Vivarail were working on a Class 321 BEMU, which I wrote about in Eversholt Rail And Vivarail To Develop Class 321 BEMU.
- Other operators like Northern, Scotrail and Transport for Wales might like a Class 321 BEMU.
Could First Group convert the Class 321 trains?
In What Train Is This?, I talk about a refurbishment of a GWR Class 150 train, that was one of the best I’ve seen.
I suspect that First Group could do the conversion, with a little help from their friends, like Wabtec and the ex-Vivarail employees, that they’ve hired.
Could The Class 387 Trains Be Converted To Battery-Electric Operation?
It was in February 2015, that I wrote Is The Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) A Big Innovation In Train Design?, after a ride in public service on Bombardier’s test battery-electric train based on a Class 379 train.
The Class 387 and Class 379 trains are very similar and with Vivarail’s battery and charging expertise, I believe that both Class 379 and Class 387 trains could be converted into modern four-car battery-electric trains.
- They would have a 100 mph or possibly a 110 mph operating speed, so could work routes like the Great Western Main Line amongst the thundering herds of Hitachis.
- The interiors would be suitable for longer routes like Cardiff Central and Exeter or Waterloo and Exeter via Salisbury.
- Great Western Railway have 33 Class 387 trains.
- Thirty Class 379 trains are wasting space in sidings.
I believe that with modern battery technology, these trains could have a battery range in excess of ninety miles.
This would enable services like Cardiff Central and Exeter St. Davids and Exeter St. Davids and Salisbury.
With judicious use of charging stations in stations like Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St. Davids and Salisbury, all First Group main line services, that are not run by the Hitachi trains could be converted to battery-electric operation.
Conclusion
I believe a well-thought out plan is emerging.
Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And Extension Of The Birmingham Cross-City Line
In Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet, I give my thoughts on Alstom’s new hydrogen train, which I have called the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra.
In that post, decide that the proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventras are based on the three-car Class 730/0 trains that have been ordered by West Midlands Trains for Birmingham’s electrified Cross-City Line.
I then go on to say.
There are plans to expand the line in the future and I do wonder if the proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventras could be the ideal trains for extending the network.
Expansion plans are detailed a section called Future, in the Wikipedia entry for the Cross-City Line, where these plans are indicated.
- Reintroduction of local trains on the Camp Hill Line.
- Extension of electrification and services to Burton-on-Trent via a reopened Alrewas station, which would serve the National Memorial Arboretum.
In addition, the Walsall and Wolverhampton Line is being reopened to passenger trains.
These new and possibly other services will need no new tracks, but more electrification and extra new trains.
In 2015, I wrote Electrification May Be In Trouble Elsewhere, But The Brummies Keep Marching On, which looked at electrification progress in the UK and the Birmingham in particular, where the electrification of the Chase Line seemed to be going well. So unlike in some places, where electrification seems to be accident-prone, Birmingham seems to avoid the sort of problems, that happened in the Preston and Blackpool and GOBlin electrifications.
But the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra gives Birmingham and the West Midlands a unique advantage compared to say Leeds or Manchester.
Birmingham can obtain a unified fleet, which to the passengers and the drivers looks the same, but in fact are two separate classes of three-car trains; the Class 730/0 electric train and the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra.
- Where electrification exists, the Class 730/0 trains will be used and where there is no electrification, the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra will work the route on hydrogen.
- All that is needed is to provide good tracks and signalling and the Alstom Hydrogen Aventras will take you where you want to go.
- Through the centre of Birmingham, these trains will use the existing electrification.
- It would be a network, that would be simple to expand.
The only other English city to use a similar technique will be Liverpool, where Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains will use battery power outside of the electrified core.
Conclusion
If Birmingham uses their disused but still existing railway lines and adds new trains as required, they can create a world-class suburban network, with the Cross-City Line at its centre
Will Hitachi Announce A High Speed Metro Train?
As the UK high speed rail network increases, we are seeing more services and proposed services, where local services are sharing tracks, where trains will be running at 125 mph or even more.
London Kings Cross And Cambridge/Kings Lynn
This Great Northern service is run by Class 387 trains.
- Services run between London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn or Cambridge
- The Class 387 trains have a maximum operating speed of 110 mph.
- The route is fully electrified.
- The trains generally use the fast lines on the East Coast Main Line, South of Hitchin.
- Most trains on the fast lines on the East Coast Main Line are travelling at 125 mph.
When in the future full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented on the East Coast Main Line, speeds of up to 140 mph should be possible in some sections between London Kings Cross and Hitchin.
The Digswell Viaduct Problem
I also believe that digital signalling may be able to provide a solution to the twin-track bottleneck over the Digswell Viaduct.
Consider.
- Airliners have been flown automatically and safely from airport to airport for perhaps four decades.
- The Victoria Line in London, has been running automatically and safely at over twenty trains per hour (tph) for five decades. It is now running at over 30 tph.
- I worked with engineers developing a high-frequency sequence control system for a complicated chemical plant in 1970.
We also can’t deny that computers are getting better and more capable.
For these reasons, I believe there could be an ERTMS-based solution to the problem of the Digswell Viaduct, which could be something like this.
- All trains running on the two track section over the Digswell Viaduct and through Welwyn North station would be under computer control between Welwyn Garden City and Knebworth stations.
- Fast trains would be slowed as appropriate to create spaces to allow the slow trains to pass through the section.
- The train drivers would be monitoring the computer control, just as they do on the Victoria Line.
Much more complicated automated systems have been created in various applications.
The nearest rail application in the UK, is probably the application of digital signalling to London Underground’s Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.
This is known at the Four Lines Modernisation and it will be completed by 2023 and increase capacity by up to twenty-seven percent.
I don’t think it unreasonable to see the following maximum numbers of services running over the Digswell Viaduct by 2030 in both directions in every hour.
- Sixteen fast trains
- Four slow trains
That is one train every three minutes.
Currently, it appears to be about ten fast and two slow.
As someone, who doesn’t like to be on a platform, when a fast train goes through, I believe that some form of advanced safety measures should be installed at Welwyn North station.
It would appear that trains between London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn need to have this specification.
- Ability to run at 125 mph on the East Coast Main Line
- Ability to run at 140 mph on the East Coast Main Line, under control of full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling.
This speed increase could reduce the journey time between London Kings Cross and Cambridge to just over half-an-hour with London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn under ninety minutes.
The only new infrastructure needed would be improvements to the Fen Line to King’s Lynn to allow two tph, which I think is needed.
Speed improvements between Hitchin and Cambridge could also benefit timings.
London Kings Cross And Cambridge/Norwich
I believe there is a need for a high speed service between London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge.
- The Class 755 trains, that are capable of 100 mph take 82 minutes, between Cambridge and Norwich.
- The electrification gap between Ely and Norwich is 54 miles.
- Norwich station and South of Ely is fully electrified.
- Greater Anglia’s Norwich and Cambridge service has been very successful.
With the growth of Cambridge and its incessant need for more space, housing and workers, a high speed train between London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge could tick a lot of boxes.
- If hourly, it would double the frequency between Cambridge and Norwich until East-West Rail is completed.
- All stations between Ely and Norwich get a direct London service.
- Cambridge would have better links for commuting to the city.
- Norwich would provide the quality premises, that Cambridge is finding hard to develop.
- London Kings Cross and Cambridge would be just over half an hour apart.
- If the current London Kings Cross and Ely service were to be extended to Norwich, no extra paths on the East Coast Main Line would be needed.
- Trains could even split and join at Cambridge or Ely to give all stations a two tph service to London Kings Cross.
- No new infrastructure would be required.
The Cambridge Cruiser would become the Cambridge High Speed Cruiser.
London Paddington And Bedwyn
This Great Western Railway service is run by Class 802 trains.
- Services run between London Paddington and Bedwyn.
- Services use the Great Western Main Line at speeds of up to 125 mph.
- In the future if full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented, speeds of up to 140 mph could be possible on some sections between London Paddington and Reading.
- The 13.3 miles between Newbury and Bedwyn is not electrified.
As the service would need to be able to run both ways between Newbury and Bedwyn, a capability to run upwards of perhaps thirty miles without electrification is needed. Currently, diesel power is used, but battery power would be better.
London Paddington And Oxford
This Great Western Railway service is run by Class 802 trains.
- Services run between London Paddington and Oxford.
- Services use the Great Western Main Line at speeds of up to 125 mph.
- In the future if full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented, speeds of up to 140 mph could be possible on some sections between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.
- The 10.3 miles between Didcot Parkway and Oxford is not electrified.
As the service would need to be able to run both ways between Didcot Parkway and Oxford, a capability to run upwards of perhaps thirty miles without electrification is needed. Currently, diesel power is used, but battery power would be better.
Local And Regional Trains On Existing 125 mph Lines
In The UK, in addition to High Speed One and High Speed Two, we have the following lines, where speeds of 125 mph are possible.
- East Coast Main Line
- Great Western Main Line
- Midland Main Line
- West Coast Main Line
Note.
- Long stretches of these routes allow speeds of up to 125 mph.
- Full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is being installed on the East Coast Main Line to allow running up to 140 mph.
- Some of these routes have four tracks, with pairs of slow and fast lines, but there are sections with only two tracks.
It is likely, that by the end of the decade large sections of these four 125 mph lines will have been upgraded, to allow faster running.
If you have Hitachi and other trains thundering along at 140 mph, you don’t want dawdlers, at 100 mph or less, on the same tracks.
These are a few examples of slow trains, that use two-track sections of 125 nph lines.
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Leicester and Lincoln – Uses Midland Main Line
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Liverpool and Norwich – Uses Midland Main Line
- East Midlands Railway – 2 tph – St. Pancras and Corby – Uses Midland Main Line
- Great Western Railway – 1 tph – Cardiff and Portsmouth Harbour – Uses Great Western Main Line
- Great Western Railway – 1 tph – Cardiff and Taunton – Uses Great Western Main Line
- Northern – 1 tph – Manchester Airport and Cumbria – Uses West Coast Main Line
- Northern – 1 tph – Newcastle and Morpeth – Uses East Coast Main Line
- West Midlands Trains – Some services use West Coast Main Line.
Conflicts can probably be avoided by judicious train planning in some cases, but in some cases trains capable of 125 mph will be needed.
Southeastern Highspeed Services
Class 395 trains have been running Southeastern Highspeed local services since 2009.
- Services run between London St. Pancras and Kent.
- Services use Speed One at speeds of up to 140 mph.
- These services are planned to be extended to Hastings and possibly Eastbourne.
The extension would need the ability to run on the Marshlink Line, which is an electrification gap of 25.4 miles, between Ashford and Ore.
Thameslink
Thameslink is a tricky problem.
These services run on the double-track section of the East Coast Main Line over the Digswell Viaduct.
- 2 tph – Cambridge and Brighton – Fast train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage and Finsbury Park.
- 2 tph – Cambridge and Kings Cross – Slow train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage, Knebworth, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Potters Bar and Finsbury Park
- 2 tph – Peterborough and Horsham – Fast train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage and Finsbury Park.
Note.
- These services are run by Class 700 trains, that are only capable of 100 mph.
- The fast services take the fast lines South of the Digswell Viaduct.
- South of Finsbury Park, both fast services cross over to access the Canal Tunnel for St, Pancras station.
- I am fairly certain, that I have been on InterCity 125 trains running in excess of 100 mph in places between Finsbury Park and Stevenage.
It would appear that the slow Thameslink trains are slowing express services South of Stevenage.
As I indicated earlier, I think it is likely that the Kings Cross and King’s Lynn services will use 125 mph trains for various reasons, like London and Cambridge in under half an hour.
But if 125 mph trains are better for King’s Lynn services, then they would surely improve Thameslink and increase capacity between London and Stevenage.
Looking at average speeds and timings on the 25 miles between Stevenage and Finsbury Park gives the following.
- 100 mph – 15 minutes
- 110 mph – 14 minutes
- 125 mph – 12 minutes
- 140 mph – 11 minutes
The figures don’t appear to indicate large savings, but when you take into account that the four tph running the Thameslink services to Peterborough and Cambridge stop at Finsbury Park and Stevenage and have to get up to speed, I feel that the 100 mph Class 700 trains are a hindrance to more and faster trains on the Southern section of the East Coast Main Line.
It should be noted, that faster trains on these Thameslink services would probably have better acceleration and and would be able to execute faster stops at stations.
There is a similar less serious problem on the Midland Main Line branch of Thameslink, in that some Thameslink services use the fast lines.
A couple of years ago, I had a very interesting chat with a group of East Midlands Railway drivers. They felt that the 100 mph Thameslink and the 125 mph Class 222 trains were not a good mix.
The Midland Main Line services are also becoming more complicated, with the new EMR Electric services between St. Pancras and Corby, which will be run by 110 mph Class 360 trains.
Hitachi’s Three Trains With Batteries
Hitachi have so far announced three battery-electric trains. Two are based on battery packs being developed and built by Hyperdrive Innovation.
Hyperdrive Innovation
Looking at the Hyperdrive Innovation web site, I like what I see.
Hyperdrive Innovation provided the battery packs for JCB’s first electric excavator.
Note that JCB give a five-year warranty on the Hyperdrive batteries.
Hyperdrive have also been involved in the design of battery packs for aircraft push-back tractors.
The battery capacity for one of these is given as 172 kWh and it is able to supply 34 kW.
I was very surprised that Hitachi didn’t go back to Japan for their batteries, but after reading Hyperdrive’s web site about the JCB and Textron applications, there would appear to be good reasons to use Hyperdrive.
- Hyperdrive have experience of large lithium ion batteries.
- Hyperdrive have a design, develop and manufacture model.
- They seem to able to develop solutions quickly and successfully.
- Battery packs for the UK and Europe are made in Sunderland.
- Hyperdrive are co-operating with Nissan, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Newcastle University.
- They appear from the web site to be experts in the field of battery management, which is important in prolonging battery life.
- Hyperdrive have a Taiwanese partner, who manufactures their battery packs for Taiwan and China.
- I have done calculations based on the datasheet for their batteries and Hyperdrive’s energy density is up with the best
I suspect, that Hitachi also like the idea of a local supplier, as it could be helpful in the negotiation of innovative applications. Face-to-face discussions are easier, when you’re only thirty miles apart.
Hitachi Regional Battery Train
The first train to be announced was the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- It is only a 100 mph train.
- The batteries are to be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation.
- It has a range of 56 miles on battery power.
- Any of Hitachi’s A Train family like Class 800, 802 or 385 train can be converted to a Regional Battery Train.
No orders have been announced yet.
But it would surely be very suitable for routes like.
- London Paddington And Bedwyn
- London Paddington And Oxford
It would also be very suitable for extensions to electrified suburban routes like.
- London Bridge and Uckfield
- London Waterloo and Salisbury
- Manchester Airport and Windermere.
- Newcastle and Carlisle
It would also be a very sound choice to extend electrified routes in Scotland, which are currently run by Class 385 trains.
Hitachi InterCity Tri-Mode Battery Train
The second train to be announced was the Hitachi InterCity Tri-Mode Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- Only one engine is replaced by a battery.
- The batteries are to be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation.
- Typically a five-car Class 800 or 802 train has three diesel engines and a nine-car train has five.
- These trains would obviously be capable of 125 mph on electrified main lines and 140 mph on lines fully equipped with digital in-cab ERTMS signalling.
Nothing is said about battery range away from electrification.
Routes currently run from London with a section without electrification at the other end include.
- London Kings Cross And Harrogate – 18.3 miles
- London Kings Cross And Hull – 36 miles
- London Kings Cross And Lincoln – 16.5 miles
- London Paddington And Bedwyn – 13.3 miles
- London Paddington And Oxford – 10.3 miles
In the March 2021 Edition of Modern Railways, LNER are quoted as having aspirations to extend the Lincoln service to Cleethorpes.
- With all energy developments in North Lincolnshire, this is probably a good idea.
- Services could also call at Market Rasen and Grimsby.
- Two trains per day, would probably be a minimum frequency.
But the trains would need to be able to run around 64 miles each way without electrification. Very large batteries and/or charging at Cleethorpes will be needed.
Class 803 Trains For East Coast Trains
East Coast Trains have ordered a fleet of five Class 803 trains.
- These trains appear to be built for speed and fast acceleration.
- They have no diesel engines, which must save weight and servicing costs.
- But they will be fitted with batteries for emergency power to maintain onboard train services in the event of overhead line failure.
- They are planned to enter service in October 2021.
Given that Hyperdrive Innovation are developing traction batteries for the other two Hitachi battery trains, I would not be the least bit surprised if Hyperdrive were designing and building the batteries for the Class 803 trains.
- Hyperdrive batteries are modular, so for a smaller battery you would use less modules.
- If all coaches are wired for a diesel engine, then they can accept any power module like a battery or hydrogen pack, without expensive redesign.
- I suspect too, that the battery packs for the Class 803 trains could be tested on an LNER Class 801 train.
LNER might also decide to replace the diesel engines on their Class 801 trains with an emergency battery pack, if it were more energy efficient and had a lighter weight.
Thoughts On The Design Of The Hyperdrive innovation Battery Packs
Consider.
- Hitachi trains have a sophisticated computer system, which on start-up can determine the configuration of the train or whether it is more than one train running as a longer formation or even being hauled by a locomotive.
- To convert a bi-mode Class 800 train to an all-electric Class 801 the diesel engines are removed. I suspect that the computer is also adjusted, but train formation may well be totally automatic and independent of the driver.
- Hyperdrive Innovation’s battery seem to be based on a modular system, where typical modules have a capacity of 5 kWh, weighs 32 Kg and has a volume of 0.022 cu metres.
- The wet mass of an MTU 16V 1600 R80L diesel engine commonly fitted to AT-300 trains of different types is 6750 Kg or nearly seven tonnes.
- The diesel engine has a physical size of 1.5 x 1.25 x 0.845 metres, which is a volume of 1.6 cubic metres.
- In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated that a five-car Class 801 electric train, needed 3.42 kWh per vehicle-mile to maintain 125 mph.
- It is likely, than any design of battery pack, will handle the regenerative braking.
To my mind, the ideal solution would be a plug compatible battery pack, that the train’s computer thought was a diesel engine.
But then I have form in the area of plug-compatible electronics.
At the age of sixteen, for a vacation job, I worked in the Electronics Laboratory at Enfield Rolling Mills.
It was the early sixties and one of their tasks was at the time replacing electronic valve-based automation systems with new transistor-based systems.
The new equipment had to be compatible to that which it replaced, but as some were installed in dozens of places around the works, they had to be able to be plug-compatible, so that they could be quickly changed. Occasionally, the new ones suffered infant-mortality and the old equipment could just be plugged back in, if there wasn’t a spare of the new equipment.
So will Hyperdrive Innovation’s battery-packs have the same characteristics as the diesel engines that they replace?
- Same instantaneous and continuous power output.
- Both would fit the same mountings under the train.
- Same control and electrical power connections.
- Compatibility with the trains control computer.
I think they will as it will give several advantages.
- The changeover between diesel engine and battery pack could be designed as a simple overnight operation.
- Operators can mix-and-match the number of diesel engines and battery-packs to a given route.
- As the lithium-ion cells making up the battery pack improve, battery capacity and performance can be increased.
- If the computer, is well-programmed, it could reduce diesel usage and carbon-emissions.
- Driver conversion from a standard train to one equipped with batteries, would surely be simplified.
As with the diesel engines, all battery packs could be substantially the same across all of Hitachi’s Class 80x trains.
What Size Of Battery Would Be Possible?
If Hyperdrive are producing a battery pack with the same volume as the diesel engine it replaced, I estimate that the battery would have a capacity defined by.
5 * 1.6 / 0.022 = 364 kWh
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
As a figure of 3.42 kWh per vehicle-mile to maintain 125 mph, applies to a Class 801 train, I suspect that a figure of 3 kWh or less could apply to a five-car Class 800 train trundling at around 80-100 mph to Bedwyn, Cleethorpes or Oxford.
- A one-battery five-car train would have a range of 24.3 miles
- A two-battery five-car train would have a range of 48.6 miles
- A three-battery five-car train would have a range of 72.9 miles
Note.
- Reducing the consumption to 2.5 kWh per vehicle-mile would give a range of 87.3 miles.
- Reducing the consumption to 2 kWh per vehicle-mile would give a range of 109.2 miles.
- Hitachi will be working to reduce the electricity consumption of the trains.
- There will also be losses at each station stop, as regenerative braking is not 100 % efficient.
But it does appear to me, that distances of the order of 60-70 miles would be possible on a lot of routes.
Bedwyn, Harrogate, Lincoln and Oxford may be possible without charging before the return trip.
Cleethorpes and Hull would need a battery charge before return.
A Specification For A High Speed Metro Train
I have called the proposed train a High Speed Metro Train, as it would run at up to 140 mph on an existing high speed line and then run a full or limited stopping service to the final destination.
These are a few thoughts.
Electrification
In some cases like London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn, the route is already electrified and batteries would only be needed for the following.
- Handling regenerative braking.
- Emergency power in case of overhead line failure.
- Train movements in depots.
But if the overhead wires on a branch line. are in need of replacement, why not remove them and use battery power? It might be the most affordable and least disruptive option to update the power supply on a route.
The trains would have to be able to run on both types of electrification in the UK.
- 25 KVAC overhead.
- 750 VDC third rail.
This dual-voltage capability would enable the extension of Southeastern Highspeed services.
Operating Speed
The trains must obviously be capable of running at the maximum operating speed on the routes they travel.
- 125 mph on high speed lines, where this speed is possible.
- 140 mph on high speed lines equipped with full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling, where this speed is possible.
The performance on battery power must be matched with the routes.
Hitachi have said, that their Regional Battery trains can run at up to 100 mph, which would probably be sufficient for most secondary routes in the UK and in line with modern diesel and electric multiple units.
Full Digital In-cab ERTMS Signalling
This will be essential and is already fitted to some of Hitachi’s trains.
Regenerative Braking To Batteries
Hitachi’s battery electric trains will probably use regenerative braking to the batteries, as it is much more energy efficient.
It also means that when stopping at a station perhaps as much as 70-80% of the train’s kinetic energy can be captured in the batteries and used to accelerate the train.
In Kinetic Energy Of A Five-Car Class 801 Train, I showed that at 125 mph the energy of a full five-car train is just over 100 kWh, so batteries would not need to be unduly large.
Acceleration
This graph from Eversholt Rail, shows the acceleration and deceleration of a five-car Class 802 electric train.
As batteries are just a different source of electric power, I would think, that with respect to acceleration and deceleration, that the performance of a battery-electric version will be similar.
Although, it will only achieve 160 kph instead of the 200 kph of the electric train.
I estimate from this graph, that a battery-electric train would take around 220 seconds from starting to decelerate for a station to being back at 160 kph. If the train was stopped for around eighty seconds, a station stop would add five minutes to the journey time.
London Kings Cross And Cleethorpes
As an example consider a service between London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes.
- The section without electrification between Newark and Cleethorpes is 64 miles.
- There appear to be ambitions to increase the operating speed to 90 mph.
- Local trains seem to travel at around 45 mph including stops.
- A fast service between London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes would probably stop at Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town.
- In addition, local services stop at Collingham, Hykeham, Barnetby and Habrough.
- London Kings Cross and Newark takes one hour and twenty minutes.
- London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes takes three hours and fifteen minutes with a change at Doncaster.
I can now calculate a time between Kings Cross and Cleethorpes.
- If a battery-electric train can average 70 mph between Newark and Cleethorpes, it would take 55 minutes.
- Add five minutes for each of the three stops at Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town
- Add in the eighty minutes between London Kings Cross and Newark and that would be two-and-a-half hours.
That would be very marketing friendly and a very good start.
Note.
- An average speed of 80 mph would save seven minutes.
- An average speed of 90 mph would save twelve minutes.
- I suspect that the current bi-modes would be slower by a few minutes as their acceleration is not as potent of that of an electric train.
I have a feeling London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes via Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town, could be a very important service for LNER.
Interiors
I can see a new lightweight and more energy efficient interior being developed for these trains.
In addition some of the routes, where they could be used are popular with cyclists and the current Hitachi trains are not the best for bicycles.
Battery Charging
Range On Batteries
I have left this to last, as it depends on so many factors, including the route and the quality of the driving or the Automatic Train Control
Earlier, I estimated that a five-car train with all three diesel engines replaced by batteries, when trundling around Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire or Wiltshire could have range of up to 100 miles.
That sort of distance would be very useful and would include.
- Ely and Norwich
- Newark and Cleethorpes
- Salisbury and Exeter
It might even allow a round trip between the East Coast Main Line and Hull.
The Ultimate Battery Train
This press release from Hitachi is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%.
This is a paragraph.
The projected improvements in battery technology – particularly in power output and charge – create opportunities to replace incrementally more diesel engines on long distance trains. With the ambition to create a fully electric-battery intercity train – that can travel the full journey between London and Penzance – by the late 2040s, in line with the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target.
Consider.
- Three batteries would on my calculations give a hundred mile range.
- Would a train with no diesel engines mean that fuel tanks, radiators and other gubbins could be removed and more or large batteries could be added.
- Could smaller batteries be added to the two driving cars?
- By 2030, let alone 2040, battery energy density will have increased.
I suspect that one way or another these trains could have a range on battery power of between 130 and 140 miles.
This would certainly be handy in Scotland for the two routes to the North.
- Haymarket and Aberdeen, which is 130 miles without electrification.
- Stirling and Inverness, which is 111 miles without electrification, if the current wires are extended from Stirling to Perth, which is being considered by the Scottish Government.
The various sections of the London Paddington to Penzance route are as follows.
- Paddington and Newbury – 53 miles – electrified
- Newbury and Taunton – 90 miles – not electrified
- Taunton and Exeter – 31 miles – not electrified
- Exeter and Plymouth – 52 miles – not electrified
- Plymouth and Penzance – 79 miles – not electrified
The total length of the section without electrification between Penzance and Newbury is a distance of 252 miles.
This means that the train will need a battery charge en route.
I think there are three possibilities.
- Trains can take up to seven minutes for a stop at Plymouth. As London and Plymouth trains will need to recharge at Plymouth before returning to London, Plymouth station could be fitted with comprehensive recharge facilities for all trains passing through. Perhaps the ideal solution would be to electrify all lines and platforms at Plymouth.
- Between Taunton and Exeter, the rail line runs alongside the M5 motorway. This would surely be an ideal section to electrify, as it would enable battery electric trains to run between Exeter and both Newbury and Bristol.
- As some trains terminate at Exeter, there would probably need to be charging facilities there.
I believe that the date of the late 2040s is being overly pessimistic.
I suspect that by 2040 we’ll be seeing trains between London and Aberdeen, Inverness and Penzance doing the trips without a drop of diesel.
But Hitachi are making a promise of London and Penzance by zero-carbon trains, by the late-2040s, because they know they can keep it.
And Passengers and the Government won’t mind the trains being early!
Conclusion
This could be a very useful train to add to Hitachi’s product line.
The Future Of West Midlands Trains’s Class 350 Trains
Currently, West Midlands Trains have four sub-fleets of Class 350 trains.
- Class 350/1 – 30 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
- Class 350/2 – 37 trains – Leased from Porterbrook
- Class 350/3 – 10 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
- Class 350/4 – 10 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
Note.
- All are 110 mph trains
- The trains are capable of being modified for 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
Under Future the Wikipedia entry for Class 350 trains says this.
West Midlands Trains announced that they would be replacing all 37 of their 350/2 units for Class 350/4 units cascaded from TransPennine Express and brand new Class 730 units which both can travel up to speeds of 110 mph.
In October 2018, Porterbrook announced it was considering converting its fleet of 350/2s to Battery electric multiple units for potential future cascades to non-electrified routes.
As West Midlands Trains have ordered 45 Class 730 trains for express services, it looks like they will be expanding services on the West Coast Main Line and around the West Midlands.
But it does appear that as many as thirty-seven trains will be returned to Porterbrook.
Class 350 Trains With Batteries
I believe that if fitted with batteries, these trains would meet or be very near to Hitachi’s specification, which is given in this infographic from Hitachi.
Note that 90 kilometres is 56 miles.
Could West Midlands Trains Run Any Services With Class 350 Trains With Batteries?
I think there are some possibilities
- Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury – 30 miles without electrification between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton – Charging facility needed at Shrewsbury.
- Birmingham New Street and Hereford via Worcester – 41 miles without electrification between Hereford and Bromsgrove – Charging facility needed at Hereford.
- Leamington Spa and Nuneaton via Coventry – 19 miles without electrification – Charging on existing electrification at Coventry and Nuneaton.
- The proposed direct Wolverhampton and Walsall service, that i wrote about in Green Light For Revived West Midlands Passenger Service.
There may also be some services added because of the development of the Midlands Rail Hub and extensions to London services,
Who Has Shown Interest In These Trains?
I can’t remember any reports in the media, about any train operator wanting to lease these trains; either without or with batteries.
Conclusion
It does all seem a bit strange to me.
- As a passenger, I see nothing wrong with these trains.
- They are less than twenty years old.
- They are 110 mph trains.
- They have 2+2 interiors, with lots of tables.
- They could be fitted with batteries if required.
But then, all of those things could be said about Greater Anglia’s Class 379 trains.
The Anonymous Widower 