Classic ‘High Speed Train’ in main line digital signalling run: Class 43 testing 2 cropped

Tuesday 26 Nov 2024

Classic ‘High Speed Train’ in main line digital signalling run

Region & Route:
Eastern
| Eastern: East Coast

A familiar and classic train became a new addition to digital signalling in-cab testing runs on the East Coast Main Line at the weekend.

The iconic High Speed Train (HST), a symbol of British rail heritage, has become the first older generation train to participate in main line digital signalling testing.

Two Class 43 power cars, each fitted with ETCS (European Train Control System) equipment on board, took part in testing between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin on the East Coast Main Line.

The main line testing is part of the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) that will transform rail operations by replacing traditional, lineside signals with continuous information displayed inside drivers’ cabs, delivering a more punctual and reliable railway.

The HST testing demonstrated the extensive collaboration involved with ECDP. The on-board Hitachi equipment was tested with the Siemens Mobility wayside system, with testing engineers from both companies involved. The train was driven and operated by specialist European rail operator RailAdventure.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), who provided the test train officer for the testing, has provided ETCS training for RailAdventure’s drivers, on both the Northern City Line and the Thameslink route through central London.  

The power cars (at the front and rear of the train) involved are normally part of Network Rail’s New Measurement Train (NMT). The NMT, affectionately known as the Flying Banana, uses technology to proactively measure the condition of the tracks. On this occasion, however, the train featured four carriages provided by RailAdventure.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said:

“The HST provides fond railway memories for many of us. For decades HSTs were carrying millions of passengers up and down the East Coast Main Line. Now it’s back again to help us prepare for a digital future with better and more reliable journeys for all users of this vital route.     

“It’s great to have the HST as the first older train to be part of main line testing, where we check that all aspects of the digital system are integrating and working well together.”

Tank Porteous, Hitachi Rail’s programme director, said:

 “The successful integration of our ETCS technology on the iconic HST marks an important step forward in realising the East Coast Digital Programme’s vision. By bridging generations of rolling stock with cutting-edge digital systems, Hitachi Rail is helping to modernise the railway for a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable future. This achievement underscores the critical role of collaboration in delivering transformative change across the UK’s rail network.”

Ben Lane, Siemens Mobility’s train control partner project director, said:

“I’m excited to see that we’ve reached another significant milestone using digital signalling technology on HST to transform rail travel. We undergo testing at our state-of-the-art facility in Chippenham to ensure our ETCS technology works smoothly on iconic trains such as the Class 43. This achievement highlights the exceptional collaboration among our cross-industry partners.”

Matthew Teller, GTR’s head of systems integration and test train officer for the HST, said:

“This weekend’s testing exemplifies how the rail industry is working together to deliver digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line.

“We were delighted to support ETCS testing for the iconic HST. By training RailAdventure’s drivers in ETCS and acting as test train officer on the night, we are sharing our knowledge of implementing and operating ETCS with the wider industry – something we’re passionate about doing to ensure ECDP’s success.”

Kevin Walker, RailAdventure’s managing director, said:

“The Class 43 is RailAdventure UK’s core traction. When the opportunity of supporting the ECDP project through becoming the operator for testing came along, it was an easy decision for us to become involved.

"We did not underestimate the size of the task in front of us to upskill our team to be ETCS competent or amend all of our systems and processes to be ETCS compliant; we are incredibly grateful for the support we received to achieve this from all parts of the project team and especially GTR.”

Digital signalling, using ETCS is a proven technology already in use in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. The ECDP will see the first introduction of ETCS to an intercity mainline in Great Britain. Read more about the project here.

Notes to Editors

The ECDP will lead to:

More reliability: With signalling information being provided directly to the driver, via a screen in their cab, there will no longer be a need to maintain a large amount of lineside equipment involved with traditional ‘traffic light’ signals.  As a result, the amount of signalling-related engineering work will reduce in the future by around almost half. Additionally, trains are sometimes affected by signal failures; moving to a modern, digitally based system makes this less likely, potentially reducing thousands of hours of delays, and making train services more reliable.

More punctual services: Digital signalling gives train drivers continual information about the safe maximum speed for their train. It provides drivers with additional information about the route ahead, that today’s fixed ‘traffic light’ signals do not. This enables more ‘efficient’ operations, helping trains stay on time.  The new technology allows continuous communication between the trackside and onboard equipment. Signallers can continuously communicate with every train on the network and respond in real time using digital tools to help smooth the flow of trains and recover services more quickly after disruption.

Greener journeys: Digital signalling contributes to a greener railway. The East Coast Main Line is already electrified, and these upgrades will deliver a further 55,000 tonne reduction in carbon emissions over 60 years – the equivalent to over 65,000 one-way flights from London to New York, or over 2 million passenger train journeys from London to Edinburgh. This is because there is much less physical equipment to produce and maintain compared with what’s needed for ‘traffic light’ signals. The estimated whole life carbon saving over a 60-year period (the expected life span of a ‘traditional’ signalling system) is around 39%. The technology also allows gentler braking, meaning journeys are smoother and use less energy. Finally, a more reliable and punctual railway will encourage more people to choose rail over road and air, ultimately reducing transport emissions for the long-term.

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Gareth Dennison
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