That could have been avoided with an all 9-car standard length 80x fleet - of course, the decision was made to go for slightly shorter 5-cars that can run combined as 10-cars. I'm assuming that the all 9-car option would have been more expensive as that would have meant more carriages.
Though fewer costly cabs to build, commission and maintain, no need to duplicate catering and crew arrangements within full length trains, more operational flexibility, and greater potential to cascade to other routes at a later date.
If they jumped to the Derby-Nottingham bit it would be quieter and cleaner in the stations and it might be enough for some BEMUs on local services.
Yes I have it on some authority that the original DC substations along with their railside 33kv 3 phase distribution cables were retained for the 6.25kv upgrade in 1960. This is Liv street - shenfield - southend vic while shenfield-chelmsford went straight to 25kv from DC. LTS and Lea Valley commuter lines started out as mixed AC (majority 6.25kv tho). I have good information on how all three of those started in the early 60s but there are very few sources around what was happening regarding upgrading the 6.25kv sections. All i know is that it was authorised in 1975 and was done by the mid-80s. Some OHNS dates imply more feeding changes happened in the 1990s. And of course AT feeding appeared in the 2010s
I think nobody is really sure atm. I'm not sure if the other sections are awaiting approval or funding (or perhaps both) from government. Leicester gap is not an issue but it probably isn't as finished design-wise as north of Syston, so Syston northwards is likely to be the next bit whenever a next bit is allowed to happen
Isn't that what Hitachi are already trialling on a TPE 802 set ? https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2024/08/240829.html
Yes I was thinking that, unless its everyone onto buses then.
Given Reeves has amended the fiscal rules to allow additional borrowing for investment this project will benefit and the teams can be held together and continue northwards
There are a lot of projects competing for the money….even on the railway!
Indeed but some of this additional cash will make its way to the DfT and this project is shovel ready to keep moving northwards and ticks the net zero box.
Yes I was wondering this. As far as I know Kettering to South Wigston OHLE is complete and tested? 10 Nov? no idea.
It doesn’t tick the net zero box as much as an electrification scheme that results in replaced diesel trains.
It further reduces CO2 and enables long term electrification of more services with the use of BEMUs.
The fact that elsewhere Network Rail was told to abruptly stop work on the York 3rd Line project would tend to reinforce that view unfortunately.
The fiscal rules change specifically enables increased capital spending ie MML electrification. The deeper issue for DfT is that they are being squeezed on day to day spending and a the railway is the biggest recipient of that budget element. So for the DfT they will need to convince treasury that there is latent demand that will now flow through to fare revenue following settlement of the disputes. Also pretty solid Labour constituencies on the remaining section although i get hospitals and schools will trump MML locally when it comes to priorities. Anyhow lets see what Wednesday brings.
But fare revenue will never generate sufficient cash flow to do that.
With 78 voyagers coming up to 25 years old and thirsty for diesel, there may be a logical cascade for the 810s when the wires reach Sheffield...
About 2035 if we're lucky? Could fit, but would there be enough 810s?
No, 33 class 810s versus 66 (planned) voyagers that are already grossly overcrowded. But even if they just replaced the 34 class 220s that would be a capacity boost and diesel fuel saving.
The ECML is power limited north of Newcastle, specifically around Berwick, in the current timetable. That‘s why TPE still run on diesel, so it’s almost certain a theoretical bimode XC service would also have to do the same.
Yes they will. Hopefully smart control and communications systems will allow bimode trains to be smarter at using AC power whenever the local network has capacity, and switching to diesel ahead of times and places where the OHLE gets overloaded.
They're going to have upgrade most of the whole network. Or else the decarbonisation strategy is just hot air.
But bimodes can deliver a major reduction in carbon emissions. Sure, you have to upgrade the power supply, but that's far cheaper than electrifying a whole new line.