The Great Northern ‘Northern City Line’ to London has become the country’s first commuter railway to operate without the use of trackside signals in a major milestone.
Traditional signals were removed from the side of the track this past weekend (17 & 18 May) as part of the 1.4 billion GBP East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), marking the first time the route between Finsbury Park and Moorgate has operated without their help since its inception 121 years ago.
Drivers will now be informed both how far and fast they are able to travel via the use of an in-cab train computer screen, which will in turn display information pulled from the recently installed ETCS (European Train Control System).
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said:Thanks to £1.4bn of Government funding this cutting-edge programme is bringing our railways into the 21st Century and beyond.
Digital signalling is not only more cost effective, but even safer and more resilient than traditional signalling. This technology, which is as advanced as it gets, could reduce delays by up to a third, evidence that this Government’s Plan for Change is making a real difference to people’s everyday lives.
This is a Government on the side of working people and, through ambitious projects like this this one, is improving vital access to jobs, services and loved ones.
The launch of the no-signals railway follows an earlier pilot of the technology on the rural Cumbrian line in 2011, with its introduction on the Northern City Line proving to be its first full utilisation on a high-frequency metro railway.
With work now under way to extend the system on to the East Coast Main Line, digital signalling is set to expand across the country and become a vital component of the future of the UK’s railway network.
The new signalling system has been installed as part of a collaboration between Network Rail and Siemens Mobility, with the system’s inauguration following several months of testing and commissioning, alongside comprehensive driver training.
Ben Lane, Infrastructure Lead and ECDP Project Director at Siemens Mobility UK&I, said:This weekend, our engineering teams began removing lineside signals from the Northern City Line - a visible sign of how digital technology is transforming our railways. By integrating our ETCS solution with our Siemens Mobility Class 717 trains, we can see how important it is to bring track and train together.
We will now see further benefits of ETCS on this route - from reduced maintenance and fewer disruptions to smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers. This achievement sets the standard for digital rail transformation across the UK and shows what's possible when industry partners collaborate to put passengers first.
