For the first time in the UK, a rail industry partnership has successfully launched digitally signaled trains on an intercity mainline route.
In the early morning of Sunday 2 June, a Great Northern Class 717 drove under test conditions between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, Hertfordshire, using the European Train Control System (ETCS). This system sends signal information directly to a computer screen in the cab. . ETCS will enable a more reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly railway for passenger and freight customers.
Sunday’s test was part of the initial stages of an ongoing process to demonstrate that trains, already equipped with the necessary on-board technology, will work with the new digital signaling infrastructure on sections of the East Coast Main Line (ECML). Testing will take place overnight and on weekends to minimize disruption to passengers.
The testing process will continue until mid-2025 to fully ensure the safety and reliability of the new system, after which work on the first passenger and cargo digital signals is expected to begin shortly thereafter.
This process includes extensive industry partnerships delivering the pioneering East Coast Digital Program (ECDP). Train control partner Siemens Mobility is overseeing the testing process in collaboration with the relevant train operating partner – Govia Thameslink Railway, which is initially the first train to be tested dynamically.
Oliver Turner, head of ERTMS at Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates the Great Northern, said:
“We are proud that our Class 717 trains and the ERTMS team have played a key role in the groundbreaking use of digital signaling on the East Coast Main Line.
“This weekend’s testing is the first step in an intensive testing process to ensure system safety. We are working closely with the rest of the industry to share and continue to learn the lessons we have learned from the introduction and operation of ETCS on the Northern City Line and Thameslink routes across central London. ”
Ben Lane, Project Director at Siemens Mobility and Infrastructure Lead ECDP, said:
“Following the success of the Pathfinder project on the Northern City route, we are now deploying this technology on our intercity trunk routes in preparation for the start of driver training for all passenger and freight operating companies participating in the programme.
“The first digitally signaled train movement on the Welwyn to Hitchin project is a huge step forward not only for ECDP, but the wider rail industry and its future digital plans.”
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