On Sunday, 2 June, Great Northern operated a Class 717 electric multiple unit using European Train Control System (ETCS).
This digital train protection system sends signalling information straight to the driver's in-cab screen, removing the need for trackside signals.
The introduction of digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line is a project being undertaken by the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), a partnership of rail operators and Siemens Mobility.
Representatives of the East Coast Digital Programme state that the system will improve safety and efficiency on the line.
The test took place on a section of the East Coast Main Line in Hertfordshire, between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin.
It follows on from the installation of the necessary trackside equipment in February.
It is hoped that testing will be complete by summer 2025, at which point passenger and freight services will be able to begin operating fully under the European Train Control System.
The system is already widely used in mainland Europe and can ultimately allow for safe automatic train operation in the future.
We're proud our Class 717 train and ERTMS team were instrumental to this landmark use of digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line.
This weekend's testing marks the very first step in an intensive testing process to ensure the system is safe. We are working closely with the rest of the industry to share the lessons we've learned – and continue to learn – from introducing and operating ETCS on the Northern City Line and Thameslink route across the heart of London.
Oliver Turner, Head of ERTMS at Govia Thameslink Railway
What a farce.
ETCS was supposed to be in decades ago, but anything Network Rail manage is always going to shoddily run.
Never known to bring any big project in on time and within budget.
JDB
I expect the reason is to increase capacity above all else as the east coast route as many routes in this country are at capacity and it has prooved it does when noting the Thameslink service through London
It is approx. 12 miles between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, in which I am unsure this should be hailed as a success. The East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) was originally split in to two phases, Kings Cross to Peterborough (Phase 1 and some approx. 85 miles) and then north up to Doncaster (Phase 2). If I recall, Phase 1 was to be commissioned circa 2019 / 2020., but may have originally been planned for 2018. That is a minimum of 4 years behind schedule to that as originally planned.
The “introduction of digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line is a project being undertaken by the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), a partnership of rail operators and Siemens Mobility”.
ECDP is Network Rail, who have overall control of this and no failing to meet those schedules should be attributed to Siemens Mobility (to my knowledge as I type this). It is Network Rail who have prolonged the ECDP, by lack of scope clarity and indecision.
McIntosh rightly points out that Track Circuits, Points, broken rails and Overhead Lines cause significant issues and delays, in which this won’t be resolved with the introduction of ETCS Level 2. And as they state “it remains to be seen if reliability and timekeeping actually improve” and wholeheartedly agree. Let alone the reduced journey time benefits being portrayed by Network Rail, as the ECML is pretty much two track railway, with limited passing points. Unless a train can leap frog the one in front, again this benefit remains to be seen, only so much water will fit through a pipe!
And don’t even get me started on ETCS Level 3, that will never ever happen on the existing ECML, WCML or Western routes, especially when they started ETCS Level 2 development on the ECML way back in 2011 if I recall.
The Cambrian has had it for years. Called ERTMS. Same horse different colour
I know and appreciate that, but the ETCS overlay on the existing ECML, WCML or Western routes, is a completely different beast to that of the Cambrian Line.
Will be introduction of in cab signalling on the ECML also boost line speed to the desired 140mph?
Does that mean the ECML will finally be able to run at 140 mph? This was always intended at electrification 35 years ago…
Not unless it involves closing every type of crossing from the standard foot crossing to the average level crossing.
Also not unless it also involves additional measures at stations too which have trains passing though currently at 125mph eg Stevenage etc…
What this does mean is more trains can run on the network as the signalling system allows this which is a advantage from traditional lineside signalling with shorter blocks between trains which is why between Finsbury Park/Kentish Town and London Bridge/Elephant and Castle we see such a high number of trains per hour.
Just because lineside signalling is coming doesn’t mean the ECML will see 140mph as unlike HS1, the ECML wasn’t designed for 140mph running.
We have already retired the first set of East Coast trains designed to run on it 140mph!
That’s beside the point, the class 91 intended for 140mph running never happened in passenger service as there was a issue with the signal sighting from the cab meaning in cab signalling was preferred which wasn’t a option back than hence they only ran at 125mph.
The Class 390s were intended to run at 140mph on the WCML but again due to the same issues never happened.
European railways are less safe than Britain’s, we are always the safest large railway system in Europe, yet nonsense posts like this push the myth that we’re trying to make our railway safer.
This is not about improving safety, it’s about trying to remove jobs with decent salaries & strong unions giving job security because working class people in Britain aren’t allowed to have good paying secure jobs anymore! The current economic system is designed to have the 99% in poorly paid insecure work so we stay focused on survival and scraping by that we have no time to question the powerful or why the rich keep getting richer while the rest of us get poorer every year!
Given the east coast main line has more than it’s fair share of track circuit failures and points failures ….both of which are still required by ETCS2 plus overhead line failures and broken rails it remains to be seen if reliability and timekeeping actually improve.
Hopefully we may soon have a fully automated service on ECML
It will come to the entire lines I am sure.
To acheive what? Apart from removing families of their income that is………….
No railway line anywhere in the world is fully automated. Automated is done on lines that are strictly controlled and even then over relatively short distances. It’s just not feasible. No computer can safely evacuate a train either.
For Metro systems eg Elizabeth line, Piccadilly Line etc sure but Mainline systems such as LNER, GWR etc definitely no as the costs will outright the few benefits.
Is there a case for automating trains to Penzance or Wick? Most certainly not.
Is there a case for automating trains on the London Underground? Most certainly.