As part of a first-of-its-kind £1.4bn project, Network Rail is set to test new digital signalling systems on the East Coast Main Line in a bid to usher in more reliable journeys and a greener railway for passengers.
The programme will see lineside signals replaced by signalling displays inside drivers’ cabs, with the first long-distance train test set for this Sunday (25 August).
The high speed European Train Control System (ETCS) testing scheduled for this weekend is expected to involve a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train and a Network Rail Class 43 measurement train.
More testing will continue on the same route (between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin) over the coming months and will feature a variety of trains and onboard systems, as Network Rail prepares for trains to run a digital signalling system on the route from late 2025.
Ed Akers, Network Rail’s industry partnership director, East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), said: “The testing work will take us a step closer to the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, which will improve services for passengers and create a more reliable and resilient railway.”
The move is a part of the billion-pound-plus ECDP which is being delivered in collaboration with all train operators running across the East Coast Main Line.
Network Rail says that, for testing to be under the controlled conditions required, the railway needs to be closed although much of the work will be conducted overnight to avoid disruption.
The ETCS is already in use in the central London section of Thameslink and on the Cambrian Line in Wales, as well as on the Northern City Line. The ECDP will see the first introduction of the ETCS to an intercity mainline in Great Britain.
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Image credit: Network Rail
