Network Rail has teamed up with its industry partners to launch a trial of a smart new technology that will digitally display speed restrictions along railway lines.

Using digital technology will allow quicker imposition and removal of speed restrictions, and contribute to a faster, more efficient, and safer way of restoring full line speed, thereby minimising lengthy train delays.

The purpose of introducing the digital displays is to improve the way that speed restrictions are displayed.

This will be especially useful in cutting delays caused by engineering work involving track renewal projects and maintenance.

The trial is being overseen by the Central Rail Systems Alliance, which is an alliance between Network Rail, infrastructure group Balfour Beatty, engineering company AtkinsRealis and railway specialist TSO.

Metal boards alongside railway lines is the current method of displaying speed restrictions.

Each one must be physically placed alongside the lines by track staff, and on occasions the lines need to be closed for the staff to carry out their work safely.

Similarly, to remove the boards, the track may need to be closed so they can be removed safely.

The time taken to position the boards and the resulting line closures often cause several minutes of delay and disruptions to passenger journeys.

Digital display boards are already in use by Balfour Beatty on highways and motorways when there’s heavy traffic, but the technology has been improved for a better performance on the railway network.

The technology uses a remote-controlled magnet placed on the track a few miles before speed restrictions apply. When activated, this magnet helps to warn train drivers of specific speed restrictions ahead. A two-week trial involving over 250 trains has been completed successfully on some lesser-used lines in central England where digital signals were in place.

Using the digital technology, speed restrictions could be changed in seconds and could be lifted faster. This resulted in a potential saving of countless minutes of delays to passenger journeys and helped keep staff safe by avoiding the need for them to work on the track.

Train controllers also benefitted, as the digital speed boards also removed the need for them to warn drivers of speed restrictions ahead. During the trial, the speed boards and their magnet markers worked well to warn train drivers of upcoming speed restrictions.

By minimising the time to implement and remove speed restrictions, it will theoretically allow line capacity to be improved, providing the potential to run more trains on existing tracks. The alliance is now preparing to undertake further trials of the technology to ensure it works across the railway network.

Digital signalling using the European Train Control System (ETCS) is already being installed on the East Coast Main Line, and is being used by all Great Northern trains to Moorgate in the City of London.

“Working in an alliance allowed us to transfer a tried and test method from highways into the rail industry.”

Ameet Masania, head of innovation at Network Rail and Central Rail Systems Alliance,