Yes, but services and exam periods are diferent for coaching stock and locomotives, the reason why we no longer have lengthening or shortening of LHCS services is because of a lack of LHCS stock (that is in a servicable condition).
As some of you may know, for intercity services I favour a mix of the two, but this would be a challenge for the makers of autocouplers to get it to work.
100mph stock is best kept in the relm of MU stock, but anything faster, now thats a diferent matter, a certain amount of space in the driving carrage of each unit cannot be occupied by passengers anyway, that at each end can make up for the locomotive.
Electric LHCS is near dead, EMU Traction motors are a lot quieter and smaller than they used to be, mainly due to the use of solid state control devices. Further advances in very recent years has seen that distributed traction currents along a busbar can be sufficently intergrated with a set of matched generators, so there is no reason that these generators need be matched, so long as there is a handshake protocol set up in the controller for how to get the best out of these generators.
New diesel units are un-economnical. There is no way to get round this thanks to emission regulations requiring the units to burn much cleaner than before (hence they will burn more fuel), any bus or HGV Engineer will be with me on this. For example the new Fiat Multi-Air Engine has very low emissions but drinks fuel like it's going out of fassion, I've seen independant reviews putting it's motorway mpg at 50mpg, I can get that from a 14 year old VW.
We need the best of both worlds for the UK's network, distributed traction and LHCS comfort levels; the only way to acceive this that I have come up with, is to have a new design of coaching stock, with intergrated traction motors.
Now, I havn't worked out the current draw or harnessing requirements of this yet, but it would work by having each coach have 600kw of tracktion packages, run from a relitavly low voltage, ie. one that does not require a massive transformer set, or where the transformer set can be intergrated into a tracktion 'package'.
These coaches would be available in several forms:
PI - Passenger Coach LDPE (Doors at end of coaches)
PC - Passenger Coach IEPC (1/3 - 2/3 Doors)
DVT - DVT/Guard Luggage & Kitchen (No passenger accomadation)
DBSO - DBSO/Guard & Luggage w/Seating
On either or both ends there would be either a 'Transformer carrage' or 'Generator Carrage' Dependant on the configuration of the power distribution system there may not be any need for a dedicated 'transformer carrage' and this could be built into the DVT
All carages within the rake will have through connections at both ends, excluding the DVT/DBSO where they have through connections at one end.
The interconnectors and control systems would be specified by one company, but diferent generator or transformer coaches would be potentially interchangable, but all interworkable. Also, each transformer carrage or a DVT with transformer etc. Would contain a small diesel, fuel cell or OCGT generator unit. OHL Failiure etc.
Say the following become available:
8MW Transformer Carrage with 600kw backup generator & OHL and 3rd rail pickup
5MW Generator Carrage
4MW DBSO Transformer Carrage with 600kw backup generator
2.5MW DBSO Generator Carrage
Examples of formations that would be appropriate for certain operators:
ICEC LDPE Passenger Express:
KX - Edinbrugh: 8MW Tran + 10 PI + DVT
KX - Hull Paragon Interchange: Either; 8MW Tran + 9PI + 5MW Gen or DBSO Either end and attach Generator at Doncater
TPE North: 4MW Tran + 6 PC + 2.5MW Gen DBSO
NT Inter Urban: 2.5MW Gen DBSO + 3 PC + DBSO
Or some variation on the above, basically, a new Mk.6 (We have had Mk5) carrage, that contains traction motors, that are fed from either a generator or transformer 'carrage', the latter may also contrain passenger accomadation, and DVTs available. With 'power giving carrages' being able to couple and uncopule within the normal calling pattern of a service, reducing the number of Diesel, OCGT or Fuel Cell generators needed.
For example, KX - Aberdeen:
Semi perminant rake formed up of DBSO - 8 PI - DVT is sat in Kings Cross with all the electric 'transformer carrages' sat at the city end and attached. Driver drives it out under electric traction up to Edinbrugh where a Diesel/Fuel Cell/OCGT generator coach is sat in the platform waiting, he drives his DBSO up to it and couples on before opening the doors. Driver gets out and gets into the generator to drive from it's front cab, when leaving the station the transformer carrage is uncoupled from the front and either left in the platfom or driven out into sidings for the corrisponding service to come down from Aberdeen or Inverness and couple back onto it and return to Kings Cross. The same could happen at Doncaster, York or Leeds for other ECML branch services, the same at Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon etc for the GWML, all stock would perform the same on electrified sections, getting the most paths possible, and as electrification stretches further out, more transformers are built, aswell as more coaching stock, and the generators are used to provide further branch services.
Long read I know, but it makes sense, honest.