Sudbury line

[387star]

Are there long term plans to electrify this branch?

Back in FGE days I understand Anglia Railways hired a class 153 for the line

A non electrified branch surrounded by electrified lines

I must add I know little about this line but plan to visit it one day looks quite unique along with the placement of the platform at Marks Tey

 

[306024]

It gets talked about from time to time, but as passenger loadings only warrant a 2 car train (Chappel Beer Festival excepted), Marks Tey, Bures and Sudbury can only platform a 2 car train, and there are no 2 car EMUs (not since the class 309 2 car units were lengthened), the cost kind of outweighs the benifit.

Nice little branch, the viaduct at Chappel is most impressive, although of course on the train you don't see it so well. But get out at Chappel and Wakes Colne, visit the East Anglian Railway Museum, look at the viaduct from below, and have a pint in The Swan.

Back in FGE days I understand Anglia Railways hired a class 153 for the line.

Until one day they decided not to and FGE had to resource a couple of old bubble car DMUs. Only dedicated work by some Colchester drivers and managers kept the service going during those dark days

Today it is a class 156 Mon to Fri and a class 153 at weekends. Class 150s used to work over the branch, but platform extensions had to be fitted at Marks Tey as the curvature of the track and the position of the doors made the stepping distance more of a leap.

 

[55018ballymoss]

From what I have read, Network Rail is investigating using a battery powered EMU (IPEMU?) on the branch to replace the requirement for a diesel unit, and avoid the cost for electrifying the branch.
There is a Class 379 working on the Harwich branch with the battery equipment fitted, and the pantograph lowered, and initial reports on how the testing is progressing seem favourable.

 

[fgwrich]

Could EMUs freed up by LOROL and Crossrail coupled with a Paisley Canal simple style of electrification benefit the branch in the future? Or the Battery Electrostar with charging points along the line.

 

[AM9]

From what I have read, Network Rail is investigating using a battery powered EMU (IPEMU?) on the branch to replace the requirement for a diesel unit, and avoid the cost for electrifying the branch.
There is a Class 379 working on the Harwich branch with the battery equipment fitted, and the pantograph lowered, and initial reports on how the testing is progressing seem favourable.

That would make sense if the service could be an extension of a Clacton/Walton or Harwich slows thereby giving adequate charging time under the wires.

 

[GB]

Doesn't solve the problem that platforms are not long enough for anything other than 2 car trains as 306024 pointed out.

Does anyone know how long it takes to charge the battery EMU from a low level state?

 

[jopsuk]

There's a very vague plan at the moment to reopen Cambridge-Haverhill (the road is a congestion and accident nightmare). I could envisage an "ideal" version reconnecting to Sudbury, perhaps for a Cambridge-Clacton through service.

 

[Tobbes]

Jopsuk is spot on. It makes sense to electrify as a through route, but this will take some time. 2030?

 

[306024]

That would make sense if the service could be an extension of a Clacton/Walton or Harwich slows thereby giving adequate charging time under the wires.

Timetables like that have been looked at in the past but Sod's law usually applied in that it was difficult to get the up train to path from Colchester, and cross the down line to access the branch at Marks Tey, and not have too long a wait for London connections. Add in performance considerations and operating as a self contained branch is simply easier.

 

[CockneySparrow]

There's a very vague plan at the moment to reopen Cambridge-Haverhill (the road is a congestion and accident nightmare). I could envisage an "ideal" version reconnecting to Sudbury, perhaps for a Cambridge-Clacton through service.

Wont happen, some of the line is built on such as a Tesco store in Haverhill also it has to cross I think the A11, that's without researching the rest of the route, I would expect to come across more obstructions

 

[sammorris]

Wont happen, some of the line is built on such as a Tesco store in Haverhill also it has to cross I think the A11, that's without researching the rest of the route, I would expect to come across more obstructions

This seems wildly pessimistic; closer examination shows the actual Tesco building is next to the alignment, not on it. It'd take one row of spaces off the side of the car park, I believe. As for the A11, I may be being overly radical here, but perhaps we could use a bridge?

Admittedly there are three small warehouse type buildings, one in Linton, one by the A11, and one in something marked as "Cambridge Science Park" in Sawston - but I suspect these are the sort of things which could be demolished / relocated without too much fuss. I think Cambridge Science Park may be aware of the potential issue, since going by the aerial photos most of the alignment seems to have been allocated to the storage of junk.

East of Haverhill I haven't looked, though.

 

[CockneySparrow]

This seems wildly pessimistic; closer examination shows the actual Tesco building is next to the alignment, not on it. It'd take one row of spaces off the side of the car park, I believe. As for the A11, I may be being overly radical here, but perhaps we could use a bridge?

Admittedly there are three small warehouse type buildings, one in Linton, one by the A11, and one in something marked as "Cambridge Science Park" in Sawston - but I suspect these are the sort of things which could be demolished / relocated without too much fuss. I think Cambridge Science Park may be aware of the potential issue, since going by the aerial photos most of the alignment seems to have been allocated to the storage of junk.

East of Haverhill I haven't looked, though.

Thanks for the clarification on Tesco situation in Haverhill, I was informed by a local what I wrote so it appears he wasn't totally correct

In terms of the bridge over the A11 would the track bed need raising as last time I went past (though I was driving and didn't stop) the embankment didn't seem high enough also the bridge would have to be installed at a slant across the road rather than flush straight

 

[colchesterken]

Good excuse for me to get on my bandwaggon...do a minimal price electrifaction low speed ,,refurb the class 306 that lives a Chappel it is 3 short coaches so will only require minimal platform extentions

Run it as a commercial heritage line..going over the top EARM could lend them some steamers for rush hours and to cope with the spotters comming from all over the place..win win

Going back to the darkened room with a little drink

 

[sammorris]

Thanks for the clarification on Tesco situation in Haverhill, I was informed by a local what I wrote so it appears he wasn't totally correct

Sorry I was a bit blunt - I do think as a reopening it should be considered. A huge proportion of the population of Haverhill work in Cambridge (and it's not small!), and the place would benefit enormously from being more accessible. It could take some of the pressure off Cambridge in housing terms.

But the other way out of Haverhill I can see there would be residential demolitions and/or a new alignment needed, and I can't see why it would be particularly heavily used.

 

[Tobbes]

Sammorris,

The Haverhill - Sudbury section is probably of limited importance in its own right, but it provides two benefits: first, it will allow an incremental, sustainable expansion of the Cambridge travel-to-work area into mid-Suffolk. Accretion of housing in Haverhill, Clare, Cavendish, Long Melford and Sudbury itself would reduce the pressure on housing closer in to Cambridge. Second, this opens a through route from Colchester (Essex University), offering quicker access to Cambridge (the old timetable suggest 90 mins from Marks Tey to Cambridge, compared to 2h 30m + today, changing at Ipswich. Moreover, via EWR, this improves connectivity to points north and west from central Essex rather than forcing a journey via London (L St or KX).

And then there's the social benefits to the communities along the line.

Tobbes