Thameslink and Great Northern passengers reminded that no trains will travel to and from London and Peterborough/Royston this weekend (17-18 May) as work to transform East Coast Main Line continues. Teams will carry out significant upgrades as part of £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), including removing traditional signals in a major milestone for […]
Category: Electrification
Network Rail gears up for £133 investment in Britain’s railway this May
Network Rail is set to undertake more than 630 projects across Britain’s railway during the early and late May Bank holidays. These projects are designed to keep the majority of the network open for travel as usual while making significant improvements to the railway infrastructure. Railways are usually quieter during weekends, particularly on key commuter […]
Electric upgrade work by UK Power Networks Services supports roll out of new trains on Piccadilly line
UK Power Networks Services will support the rollout of new trains on London Underground’s Piccadilly line with the signing of a new £24million contract to upgrade the High Voltage power network. This contract is the second ‘batch’ awarded that, when completed, will provide the infrastructure to support the introduction of the new ‘24 Tube Stock’ […]
World-First: Hitachi Rail Enables Digitally Signalled Steam Locomotive with ETCS Technology
In a historic first for the railway industry, testing of a steam locomotive fitted with Hitachi Rail’s European Train Control System (ETCS) in Level 2 has been completed successfully on the Cambrian line in Wales. As part of Network Rail’s East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), the historic Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado is the first […]
Passengers reminded to check before travelling ahead of major Easter weekend rail upgrades
Passengers travelling between London Euston and Scotland are being advised to plan their journeys in advance over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Between Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April, Network Rail will be delivering a suite of upgrades to improve the reliability of the railway for passengers and freight services. The renewal of switches […]
‘World first’ digitally signalled steam loco begins testing
This week has seen the start of testing at speed for the world’s first operational steam locomotive to be fitted with ETCS (European Train Control System) technology. Tornado – a modern steam locomotive built in 2008 – is the first loco in the charter and heritage pathfinder project for the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). […]
Telent Secures First CP7 Telecoms-Only Framework to Enhance Rail Reliability in Western and Wales
As part of Network Rail’s five-year planning and funding cycle, Control Period 7 (CP7), Telent has been appointed to deliver a telecoms renewal programme throughout the Wales and Western Region, which spans London to Penzance, Bristol, the Cotswolds and the whole of Wales. This first telecoms-only framework to be awarded in CP7, will see Telent, […]
Groundbreaking thermal modelling slashes railway heating costs
Significant cost and carbon reductions will be delivered through an industry-leading initiative joint developed by Network Rail, AtkinsRéalis, Balfour Beatty and TSO, as the Central Rail Systems Alliance (CRSA). Planned track renewals will expand the number of “points heating systems” at many critical UK rail routes to prevent the build-up of snow and ice – […]
“Electrification Project Hits Major Milestone Ahead of Schedule and Below Budget”
The railway line between Kettering in Northamptonshire and Wigston near Leicester has reached a major milestone by being officially declared ready and safe for electric trains. The certification for the 23-mile section is a massive achievement in Network Rail’s Midland Main Line Electrification Programme – the biggest programme of improvements to the line since its […]
Network Rail and British Transport Police launch hard-hitting new track safety campaign
Network Rail and British Transport Police are urging people to stay off the tracks with a hard-hitting new campaign, as new survey data reveals 59% of Brits don’t know what the ‘third’ or electric rail is, and 38% believe electrocution from rail tracks won’t cause serious injury. The organisations have today launched a new series […]