Network Rail successfully completes major project to move signalling to modern Rail Operating Centre in York: Network Rail successfully completes major project to move signalling to modern Rail Operating Centre in York

Wednesday 2 Jan 2019

Network Rail successfully completes major project to move signalling to modern Rail Operating Centre in York

Region & Route:
Eastern

Whilst most people were enjoying the festive period with their families, 35 Network Rail workers were busy moving control of the signalling system from the Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC) to the state of the art Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in York.

This important move, part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, began after the last service on Christmas Eve and was successfully completed ready for the first train service on Thursday, 27 December. 

Moving control of signalling to the newer, more modern ROC, means passengers will benefit from more reliable journeys as the switch-over gives signallers a greater overview of the railway. The move will help to further develop a centre of excellence with greater resilience when disruption occurs and is more cost effective to run.

The IECC was first opened in 1989 and whilst it has performed well, signalling control needed to move to keep the railway running reliably for years to come.  It controlled signalling across a large area of the East Coast Main Line from Doncaster to Northallerton via York, as well as the Transpennine route from York to Morley and Pudsey via Leeds and the north Bradford lines to Skipton/Ilkley.  

The project was a real team effort and Network Rail Senior Project Engineer, Graham Foster who lives in York, was the man responsible for signing off the switch-over.

He said: “I have been working on the railway for 41 years. I first worked in the York IECC between 1999 and 2002. This was when the Leeds and York control areas came under one roof, which has proved very successful. The beauty of moving the IECC to the ROC is that it brings all the signallers together as well as giving them a more modern system to work with.

“We undertake these major projects over the Christmas period when there are no trains running so that we can take advantage of the downtime and keep disruption to a minimum. 

“I have worked over Christmas many times. I came in on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but the 27th was the most important.  We rehearsed the move several times before the big switch-over, so we were confident that everything would go to plan. I am delighted that it did.”

ENDS

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - Amy Brenndorfer
Senior Communications Manager
07858375508
07730359569
Amy.Brenndorfer@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk