Christopher125

It has been announced that 3x 2 car 230s will take over from 150/153 on the Bedford to Bletchley (Marston Vale) line in December.

Have you got a link to this announcement? I've not come across it, and this presentation by Abellio says December 2018 which would seem more likely.

In all such schemes, the "best" is often the enemy of the good. For politicians, HS3 is the best because it makes for a good sound bite. But is high speed what is really needed across the North of England? No, inter-station distances are short and the journey time savings by high speed are minimal. What is needed is more capacity. With what was mostly a four-track route, the existing TransPennine route via Standedge can supply quite a lot of this with some additional tunnelling to get round the bottlenecks caused by ill-considered removal of parts of the line.

 

With trains running at 100/125mph, journey times could be reduced to a level that would be sufficient to beat the competition and frequency of services to an almost metro level.

 

That is, quite clearly what is needed - common sense. But is it sexy enough to appeal to the politicians?

That's essentially what they are proposing, and why it's officially called 'Northern Powerhouse Rail' not HS3 - a mix of new and upgraded infrastructure at conventional linespeeds (probably 140mph max as trains will be sharing stretches of HS2) rather than a dedicated 200mph+ 'high speed line' like HS2, which was never seriously on the cards.

I’m not too sure about the new film though, from the trailer Rupert Everett doesn’t look right as Poirot. 

Kenneth Branagh actually - perhaps he'd be better off playing Everett than Poirot! 

More over the weekend.

Paul

Sorry for the bump but did you find out anything more? 

I would wait and see how much spare cash is around after the  budget think that there are better claims on taxpayers money.

Hammond has already committed the £300m required for the connections with HS2, politically the government have to deliver on it.

This WYCA committee paper from a few weeks back gives some clues about the emerging plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail aka 'HS3'.

(credit to cheguevara for the link).

It is a critical time in NPR’s development over the next few months, with decisions being taken now around touchpoints with HS2 and the inclusion of these in HS2’s Phase 2b Hybrid Bill design work. Also, a preferred, single option for the NPR network is being decided upon, as part of the development of a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to be completed later in 2018.

 

At its recent Partnership Board meeting, TfN confirmed that its emerging vision for the NPR network is:

 

- A new line between Liverpool and the HS2 Manchester spur via Warrington;

- Capacity at Manchester Piccadilly for about 8 through services per hour;

- A new Trans Pennine rail line that connects Manchester and Leeds via Bradford;

- Significant upgrades along the corridor of the existing Hope Valley from Sheffield to Manchester line via Stockport;

- Leeds to Sheffield delivered through HS2 Phase 2b and upgrading the route from Sheffield;

- Leeds to Newcastle via HS2 junction at Garforth and upgrades to the East Coast Mainline; and

- Significant upgrades to existing line for Leeds to Hull (via Selby) and Sheffield to Hull (via Doncaster).

An immediate priority for the TfN Partnership Board is ensuring that Northern Powerhouse Rail is fully integrated into the planning of Phase 2B of HS2, to ensure both maximum value for money and that NPR can be developed without delay.

 

The Board is calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure that six vital touchpoints are included in the HS2 Phase 2B Hybrid Bill:

 

- Provision for a junction between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail east of Leeds at Garforth to create capacity for NPR services from Leeds to York and beyond. This would enable faster Leeds – York – Darlington – Durham – Newcastle services, and release capacity for more local and commuter services east of Leeds.

- A connection south of Leeds at Stourton between the HS2 Eastern Leg and existing line into Leeds, enabling NPR trains to run from Sheffield to Leeds and on to York and the North East, thus connecting Leeds from north and south.

- A connection north of Sheffield at Clayton, enabling trains to run through Sheffield and rejoin the HS2 line to Leeds.

- Provision for a junction between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail on the HS2 Manchester Airport spur south-west of the airport, allowing construction of a new line to serve Liverpool-Manchester Airport-Manchester.

- Provision for a junction on the HS2 mainline north of Crewe, allowing for HS2 services to Liverpool.

- Realignment of the HS2 route on the approach to Manchester Piccadilly to enable either an underground Northern Powerhouse Rail through station adjacent to the HS2 Manchester Piccadilly station or a surface turn-back station that supports delivery of higher level NPR service frequencies

That's good that they're pretty quiet, though the comparison is to something pretty old now.

An interesting comparison will be with the mk5s; modern LHCS should be a little better than a DMU in principle.

One is an unpowered trailer, the other has a large diesel engine underneath - parity alone would be a major achievement, especially given other modern designs like the Voyager, Meridian and Adelante which are criticised for interior noise.

On a more serious note, there have been plenty of comments that underfloor diesel engines will always be intrusive and instead should be put out of the way in a nice power car. I think the 800's show that it isn't true - and they don't even have a noisy air conditioning system to try to drown out the engine noise.

Some recent tweets by journalist Richard Clinnick appear to back this up...

I was going entirely on what the Hitachi fitters said - that the sets (8 & 9) had not been uprated.  If they have been uprated and still lose time the way those two did then GWR will need some timetable revisions or should be threatening NR with legal action for failing to deliver the wires up above complete with electricity in them.

According to posts on another forum they may have gone for a halfway house - max power when starting away but as the speed increases they gradually return back to 750hp. 

IRJ: Bombardier and CAF to supply 107 trains for West Midlands franchise

Bombardier will supply 36 three-car 145km/h Aventra EMUs for inner suburban services on Birmingham’s Cross-City Line and 45 five-car trains capable of 177km/h, which will operate outer-suburban and longer-distance services on the West Coast Main Line. Assembly will take place at Bombardier’s Derby plant and the trains will be delivered in 2020-2021.

 

CAF will deliver 14 four-car and 12 two-car Civity DMUs for suburban services on non-electrified lines into Birmingham Snow Hill. The fleet will be delivered in 2020.

The NYMR does not use air braked stock, it wouldn't be used in their day to day operation or at all, even if the loco fails we have to supply our own rescue locos which are vac braked.  It's not going to cause some sort of hideous incident where a train f.ucks off on its own on a vac only railway.

 

When it goes elsewhere on the network that's between the B1 trust and the operator.

Isn't the NYMR now a mainline operator, using the B1 over the national network on Whitby services?

I wasn't aware you could walk between adjoining carriages on the Ffestiniog, that's always been my assumption on my numerous visits there.

IIRC all the modern F&WHR carriages have corridor connections, it allows them to offer a buffet/trolley service.

Thanks for the info. Looking at the Facebook image of it stowed on board the ferry, it certainly does look like it would have to be reversed off. Fascinating stuff...

 

https://www.facebook.com/iwsteamrailway/posts/1659387307470076

I don't believe so, there are photos of it being driven off forwards at Fishbourne.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/366070303809648/permalink/392947624455249/

A surreal sight! (credit to Justin for the photo)

by Justin Foulger, on Flickr

by Justin Foulger, on Flickr

I wonder how the proposed Safari Park service will work.  I seem to recall on the "Last 150" railtour when we crossed from Kidderminster, NR to Kidderminster, SVR it involved a bit of faffing around including multiple reversals and the use of a siding.  If this is aimed at a regular service for Joe and Joanna Numpty and brats I assume the crossing procedure will need reviewing or even a new connection?

IIRC that was before the area was resignalled, which involved upgrading the connection with the SVR as described in the 2013 article below:

The Rail Engineer: Connecting the Severn Valley

In August 2012, the main line was re- signalled and came under the control of the West Midlands Signalling Centre (WMSC) located at Saltley. This project incorporated the provision of a new facing crossover on the main line to make the reversal of terminating trains easier. It was quickly realised that this would create a facing movement over the points leading on to the Severn Valley Railway meaning that they would need to be equipped with a facing point lock.

Why therefore not make this a fully signalled route thus facilitating quick and easy movement on to and off the heritage line? Negotiations with Network Rail commenced with mutual benefits being realised by both parties and a collaborative design was prepared.

(iv) The Swanage 33 may not be fitted with TPWS or OTMR / OTDR and is thus may not permitted on NR infrastructure.

Indeed. Only 33012 is approved for use on the mainline.

Would it be correct to assume that an all electric IEP will be able to work in multiple with a bi-mode IEP and work in multiple with one unit running on diesel and the other on electric..

 

Also two bi-modes in multiple one working on diesel the other on electric.

 

It may sound hypothetical but on the EC it could be the case that you might want to do it somewhere like approaching Newark, if one set is to be detached for Lincoln, running on diesel, with the other set continuing north on electric.

A pair of bi-modes working together in diesel and electric can be seen at the beginning of this video:

You are right though, the 800/802 series trains are going to suit todays GWR travellers (commuters well) and there is a significant fleet increase to both Agility West, GWR and Agility East.

Isn't it something like 605 Hitachi vehicles replacing 464 HST mk3s? Not entirely like-for-like but gives a good idea of the capacity increase, especially as the new vehicles are several metres longer.

That's not in line with a modern museum though.

 

A modern museum like Glasgow's Riverside . A collection of cars that are attached to the wall at various heights..........so you cant actually see them .   Trendy though!  Do you ever think the lunatics are in charge of the asylum?  Where did we go wrong?

...or an imaginative way to display items which might otherwise have been out of the public eye entirely. It would be great if museums could have everything on display in an ideal setting but that's rarely possible, so better on a wall where they can at least be appreciated from a distance than in storage where they can't IMHO.

Actually quick search reveals this colour.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40885118

 

Revenge of SIlverlink colour.

That's been around for some months in connection with the devolved 'West Midlands Rail' services - somewhat equivalent to the old Centro livery I suppose? If South Western is a guide the new branding for the wider franchise will take some time to emerge.

Parry People Mover are now defunct, no further development.

There's nothing to suggest that on their website, IIRC a winding-up order was served but that may have been resolved?

With the considerable extra regulation now being imposed upon rail vehicles, the extra kit and the extra performance required to keep those trains out of the way of the faster stuff, the trend of late has been for new trains to be increasingly heavier, most especially the bi-mode sort.

While true for many of the initial post-privatisation designs the latest generation are noticeably lighter - the Bombardier Aventras and Siemen's Desiro Cities are significantly lighter than their forebears with lightweight inside frame bogies and aluminium bodies becoming standard.

Down through Filton to Temple Meads, no electrification works, but contractors are very busy widening the trackbase. Tracks or reserved bus lanes?

It's the 'Filton Bank Four Tracking' scheme, which will reinstate the extra pair of tracks.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/great-western-mainline/city-of-bristol/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jUYViwle1c

From what I read in a rail magazine (I think it was "Modern Railways") last year. They were investing on improving the network and renewing the trackwork but that was back in 2015. So I am a bit out of date. They have recently introduced the Belmond train in night blue colours. So there is progress there even if it is slow. Although the Belmond Express is for another topic however ,

I was thinking of reports like this in the Irish Times last October: Rail report: Routes around country at risk of closure

"The financial problems of the country’s railways could be addressed in one of three ways – by the State providing millions in increased exchequer funding, by widescale route closures, or by a combination of both, including reform of the free travel scheme, the Government has been told.

A review, set up to look at possible solutions to the rail company’s financial sustainability, says Iarnród Éireann needs more than €640 million in additional finance over the next five years to tackle solvency issues and as compensation for previous under-funding."

AFAIK the Belmond service is a private investment by that company which also operates the British Pullman and Royal Scotsman - it's not really indicative of the wider network.

There's growing speculation that the units for Corby electrification will be drawn from the Greater Anglia Desiro fleet, due for replacement in 2019/ 20. The good news is they'll have more seats per carriage and potentially more trains per hour. The bad news is they'll run as 4 car sets, doubling up to 8 in the peaks and of course they're bus seats and narrower than the Meridians so although there's more seats per carriage they're less comfortable and there's broadly the same number per train as a 5 or 10 car Meridian.

The plan was and appears to remain for Corby services to be up to 12-cars long, as stated in the franchise consultation.

As I understand it, Ireland is heavily investing into its rail network and that includes new lines and will lead to more trains and perhaps freight being taken off the road and moved by rail.

Are they? There was a lot of investment at one time but that was before the recession, the last I heard they were talking about closures.