In-cab signalling and signalling system testing are performed on the East Coast Main Line, deployed under the Network Rail’s GBP 1.4 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP).
The programme will see traditional, lineside signals replaced with signalling displayed inside drivers’ cabs, which will mean more reliable journeys and a greener railway for passengers in the future.
On Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December, further high speed testing will take place of the recently installed system between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire. This is part of ongoing preparations for trains to run on this route using digital signalling from late 2025.
For the testing to be carried out under controlled conditions, the railway needs to be closed affecting long-distance trains in and out of London King’s Cross.
“The testing work is a further step towards 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 greener railway. The East Coast Digital Programme is being delivered in partnership with all train operators which operate on the East Coast Main Line to deliver the first-of-a-kind signalling project,” Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said
The European Train Control System (ETCS) testing planned for Sunday 30 November and Sunday 1 December is expected to involve both a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train and a Great Northern Class 717 commuter train.
Testing and proving will continue between Welwyn and Hitchin at various stages in the coming months, involving different trains and onboard systems.
The ECDP will see the first introduction of ETCS to an intercity mainline in Great Britain and will provide the foundation for the future expansion of digital signalling across the network. ETCS is currently in use in the central London section of Thameslink and on the Cambrian Line in Wales, and now on the Northern City Line (Finsbury Park to Moorgate), in the first stage of ECDP.
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