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Thursday 20 Apr 2017

Easter commissioning is green light for signalling upgrade

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The first phase of work on the Motherwell North Signalling Renewal project was successfully commissioned over the Easter weekend as part of our UK wide programme of Bank holiday works.

The £114million project is renewing track side equipment and is enabling transfer of control of the signalling from five panels at Motherwell Signalling Centre to three VDU workstations at West of Scotland Signalling Centre.

Delivered over two phases, the investment in the railway’s version of ‘traffic lights’ is replacing outdated signalling systems and improving reliability and safety for passengers as well as introducing greater capability into the network.  The first phase of work covering the Newton – Hamilton – Uddingston area was commissioned over the Easter weekend.

As well as renewing signalling interlockings (a linked section of signalling equipment that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings) and other trackside equipment the project delivers a number of enhancements which improve the overall resilience of the signalling network.

Improved signalling technology means more reliable journeys with fewer delays, so more trains can run and more people will be able to travel on the railway across Scotland. Modernising the railway also helps pave the way for electrification so that faster, longer, greener and quieter trains can run – making it easier and quicker for commuters to get to Scotland’s two major cities and beyond.

Steve Muirhead, Route Asset Manager for signalling in Scotland said: “We have been working to replace trackside signalling equipment with modern signalling systems which enable us to centralise control into West of Scotland signalling centre at Cowlairs; one of twelve regional operating centres around Britain.

“Over the Easter weekend, we carried out the complex commissioning work needed to ‘re-control’ the signals, moving control from Motherwell Signalling Centre to our new, state-of-the-art signalling centre.   

Subsequent phases of the project covering Mossend, Whifflet, Motherwell, Holytown, Shotts and Law Junction areas will deliver enhanced signalling and extra capacity on the Shotts line between Holytown Junction and Midcalder Junction to support the electrification of the line.  The remainder of the project will be commissioned in 2018.