BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has announced a major step forward in its East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) following the successful commissioning of an ETCS overlay on a 18km section of the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
The W2H project involved installing the overlay from Welwyn Garden City to Hitchin, and was completed during a major line closure on February 17-20.
NR says that the overlay is a critical part of its delivery plan for ECDP, which will see ETCS Level 2 installed to replace lineside signals on the 160km southern section of the ECML from London King’s Cross as far as Stoke Tunnel, north of Peterborough.
The W2H overlay will allow drivers from ECML passenger and freight operators to be progressively trained on ETCS. Once all driver training is completed alongside retrofitting rolling stock with ETCS onboard equipment, NR says that the progressive rollout of Level 2 on ECML South can rapidly follow.
W2H commissioning has involved minor resignalling in preparation for ETCS system proving. A new proving desk and Radio Block Centre (RBC) will be installed at the Rail Operations Centre (ROC) in York that controls ECML South, which will enable the first overnight proving trains to operate from this spring.
It is expected that migration to passenger and freight trains operating under ETCS through the overlay section will begin in 2025.
Siemens Mobility is responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of ETCS under an NR framework contract worth £900m.
The rail systems integration partner (RSIP) for ECDP is Atkins, which was awarded a framework contract estimated to be worth £55m.
The resignalling component of W2H included moving existing assets to Siemens Westrace trackside equipment, and installing three new Trackguard Westlock interlockings and associated infrastructure.
Trackside fringe alterations were performed at Hatfield, Biggleswade, Hertford and Letchworth, and existing train detection was replaced with axle-counters. The signalling power supply system was upgraded by providing three new principal supply point feeders and replacing seven existing 650V feeders.
W2H commissioning follows the installation of an ETCS overlay on the 5.4km Northern City Line (NCL) between Finsbury Park and Moorgate, where the first passenger trains operated under ETCS Level 2 in November 2023 under the NCL pathfinder project for ECDP.
Driver training at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is in progress. Around 25% of NCL services are now being operated under ETCS Level 2 and it is expected that lineside signals will be decommissioned early next year.
Mr Ed Akers, principal programme sponsor for ECDP at NR, describes the completion of W2H commissioning as “a major milestone for the project.”
“To reach this point and to implement digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line has meant a huge amount of collaboration between Network Rail, operators and other rail industry stakeholders,” he says.
“While commissioning Welwyn to Hitchin is a key enabler for the East Coast Digital Programme, it is also a significant step towards the rollout of digital signalling across the network.”
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