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Alliance installs new signalling system at Stafford

Network Rail has completed a major project to install a new railway signalling system at Stafford over the bank holiday weekend. 

The resignalling work, which included 78 new signal heads being commissioned, forms the second phase of the £250m Stafford Area Improvement Programme (SAIP). 

Engineers were on site from the close of service on Friday August 29, with approximately 200 people working on each of the seven shifts over the 77-hour possession, until two hours before the first scheduled trains ran on 1 September. 

Mark Killick, area director for Network Rail, said: “It’s been an exceptionally busy period for us at Stafford culminating in a tremendous effort over the bank holiday. 

“We want to thank passengers and the local community for their patience. We’re delighted to have delivered this vital work on time and on budget. It will bring many long-term benefits.” 

Additionally, a new goods loop has also been built for freight trains and all platforms at Stafford can now accommodate trains in either direction. The Staffordshire Alliance of Network Rail, VolkerRail, Laing O’ Rourke and Atkins, delivered the work on time and on budget. 

Prior to the bank holiday weekend work, RTM had talked to Ian Johnson, Alliance operations manager on SAIP, who told us that the resignalling team also has to remove signal boxes 4 and 5 at Stafford. 

“The signal boxes will close over the August bank holiday, and all the signalling will be controlled from Rugby ROC. Everything is set up down there,” RTM was told. 

“Removal of the boxes will be between August and Christmas this year, and we’ve had some interest from some heritage organisations about recovering some of the equipment.” 

Johnson added that while the resignalling work at Stafford has finished, the team is still poised for further work on phase 3 of the project, which involves installing a new flyover at Norton Bridge that is set to be commissioned at Easter 2016.