The first Great Northern Class 387/1 has been dispatched to be fitted with ETCS in-cab signalling as part of the East Coast Digital Programme.

ETCS v3.6.0 and ECDP v1.1 will be fitted to the Electrostar.

A GB Railfreight Class 47 hauled 387101 from GTR’s Hornsey Depot in North London to Worksop Depot.

The upgrades include

• A new digital driver’s dashboard
• A new AWS/TPWS system
• Doppler radar and ETCS antennae beneath the soleplate
• A European Vital Computer – the main computer – fitted at the body end of the first carriage
• Software for a new train control monitoring system
• Onboard ETCS software – in line with the latest revision of the ETCS standards

Static testing will take place at Litchurch Lane in Derby prior to dynamic testing at Network Rail’s RIDC at Melton Mowbray.

The first unit is set to return in July 2023, the remaining 28 387/1s will be fitted with ETCS in-house at the Hornsey Depot.

GTR’s ERTMS Fleet Project Manager Aaron Meakin said: “This is a watershed moment for us on the digital programme team. We’ve worked long and hard to get us to a place where we’re ready for this retrofit which will make these trains some of the most advanced in the UK for ETCS.”

Aaron Weeks, Project Director for Alstom said: “This important milestone marks a key moment for the project and is a testament to the hard work of the Alstom team and the collaboration with our partners at GTR, Porterbrook and Network Rail. At Alstom we are proud to be at the forefront of the digitisation of the UK rail network and look forward to continued support of the ECDP in the coming years through the supply of our Atlas ETCS Onboard signalling product.”

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor, East Coast Digital Programme, said: “This latest retrofit is another example of the industry partnership enabling progress towards a digitally signalled railway that works better for passengers and users. Over the next two years a range of vehicles across passenger, freight, heritage and maintenance sectors will be retrofitted and tested as we prepare to deliver GB rail’s first transition of an intercity mainline to ETCS operations.”

Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, which owns GTR’s Class 387 fleet said: “Porterbrook has been playing a key role in first-in-class ETCS projects to support Network Rail and the rail industry in the rollout of the Digital Railway.

“There has been excellent teamworking and collaboration across the industry to deliver this critical project, and it’s great to now see the first of our Class 387 GTR trains on its way to be upgraded with the new technology, and fully tested. This will ensure they can continue to operate on the East Coast once conventional signals are removed.”