- Government makes £1bn digital signalling investment on one of
UK’s busiest rail routes
- Will deliver safer, more reliable and more resilient services
on East Coast Main Line
- New technology will mean fewer delays while creating around
5,000 jobs
More than £1 billion of Government funding will be used to
replace outdated Victorian infrastructure with cutting edge
digital signalling technology.
One third of the nation’s population live within 20 minutes of a
station on the East Coast Main Line and, together, produce more
than 40% of the UK’s GDP, making it one of the UK’s busiest rail
routes while also playing a vital role in the prosperity of the
nation’s economy.
The technology, which will be rolled out across the entire
southern section of the line – from London’s King’s Cross to
Stoke Tunnels, just south of Grantham - will mean faster, safer
and more regular trains for millions of people.
A week after union leaders brought much of the nation’s railway
to a standstill with strikes, this investment is a key example of
how the Government wants to bring the industry into the
21st century.
Transport Secretary, said:
“While union bosses waste time touring television studios and
standing on picket lines, I am busy getting on with the job at
hand and modernising our railway.
“This £1 billion investment will allow us to replace unreliable
Victorian infrastructure with cutting edge technology which will
mean fewer delays and more regular services for millions of
passengers.
“The world is changing and, despite the best efforts of unions, I
am determined to help our railway change with it.”
The funding will remove outdated lineside signalling and replace
it with the European Train Control System (ETCS), which brings
signalling into train drivers’ cabs and provides them with
real-time, continuous information throughout their journey.
The new in-cab technology will create a more responsive, more
resilient railway and, crucially for passengers, one that can
recover quicker when journeys don’t go to plan. Most importantly,
as the system will constantly monitor the train’s speed, it will
also create a safer railway.
Toufic Machnouk, Director, Industry Partnership for
Digital Railway, Network Rail, said:
“We are delighted to have been given the go ahead for this
ground-breaking programme that will transform the capability and
resilience of the East Coast Main Line and be a key enabler for
the wider network.
“The ECDP is uniquely bringing together all elements of track and
train through a pioneering industry partnership that is working
beyond boundaries in a deep collaboration. We will upskill our
people and use new technology to improve the way we work for the
benefit of passengers and freight customers”.
As well as the many passenger benefits, the East Coast Digital
Programme will deliver a much-needed financial boost to the
industry and, over its lifetime, is 42 per cent cheaper than the
current system. It will also help the Government towards its Net
Zero goal by decreasing carbon emissions by 55,000 tonnes – the
equivalent of more than 65,000 one-way flights from London to New
York.
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said:
“Digital signalling will allow the full potential of our Azuma
fleet technology to be realised, and means our customers will
benefit from even more reliable and sustainable journeys in the
future.”
Tom Moran, Thameslink and Great Northern Managing
Director, said:
“We're delighted with this announcement, which will mean better
services in the future for our passengers on the East Coast
Mainline. This massive investment builds on our work to
implement digital signalling on the Northern City Line into
Moorgate in the City of London, and it means we can continue
to roll out the technology on some of our key routes."
The East Coast Digital Programme follows more than £350 million
of prior investment to fit other services on the route with the
new technology, with over 80 per cent of passenger rolling stock
on the East Coast Mainline South already using ETCS. Network Rail
will prioritise the request for a further investment of £427m as
part of the next Control Period settlement, bringing the overall
investment to just under £2 billion.
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group,
said:
“Freight customers throughout supply chains are dependent on
reliable rail services to deliver goods to people. We
welcome this investment in digital signalling that will provide a
more flexible and resilient railway, unlocking future growth
potential in rail freight traffic supporting both decarbonisation
and economic growth.”
