{"id":245878,"date":"2025-07-03T18:36:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T08:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=179401"},"modified":"2025-07-03T18:36:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T08:36:35","slug":"work-starts-to-make-classic-hsts-fit-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=245878","title":{"rendered":"Work starts to make classic HSTs fit for the future"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Work has started to fit equipment for digital in cab signalling to the iconic High Speed Trains (HSTs), a symbol of British rail heritage, significantly in the year of Railway 200.<\/p>\n

Sixteen Class 43 power cars are being fitted with European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment. The fitment is part of the \u00a31.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), that will transform rail operations by replacing traditional, lineside signals with continuous information displayed inside drivers\u2019 cabs, delivering a more reliable, greener and even safer railway.<\/p>\n

The first four power cars to be fitted belong to RailAdventure, a specialist European freight operator, and are used for freight and rolling stock movements.<\/p>\n

Four of the power cars belong to Locomotive Services Limited and are used for private charter trains. The remaining eight are leased by Colas Rail from Porterbrook, and are used for infrastructure management, including Network Rail\u2019s New Measurement Train (NMT).<\/p>\n

Upgrading these 16 power cars with ETCS will ensure they are fit for the future to run on the East Coast Main Line (ECML), and on other routes as ETCS expands across the network. The work to fit all 16 is expected to be completed by the middle of 2026.<\/p>\n

Ben Mason, charter and heritage lead for ECDP said: \u201cIn this year of Railway200 we\u2019re pleased to be equipping iconic older generation trains for the next generation railway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work will enable the much loved Class 43s to continue providing vital freight movements, infrastructure work and charter services for many years to come. ECDP continues to progress and build capability as we work to deliver a more reliable, greener and even safer railway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Maynard, Vice President, Integrated Communications Supervision (ICS), Hitachi Rail, commented: \u201cGiving Britain\u2019s legendary InterCity 125 power cars a \u2018digital brain\u2019 shows how the past and future of rail can run side-by-side. By equipping these Class 43s with ETCS, we\u2019re making them even safer and better connected, extending their working life for charter, freight, and infrastructure duties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking shoulder-to-shoulder with Network Rail through the East Coast Digital Programme, we\u2019re proving that brownfield integration can unlock quick wins on the journey to a fully digital railway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Walker, managing director, Rail Adventure, added: \u201cRailAdventure are both proud and excited to play our part in the introduction of ETCS signalling on the ECML. Having supported the project through the last 12 months of testing by operating data collection test trains, having our own locomotives ETCS compliant will put in place our final building block for full ETCS readiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: Network Rail<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Work has started to fit equipment for digital in cab signalling to the iconic High Speed Trains (HSTs), a symbol of British rail heritage, significantly in the year of Railway 200. Sixteen Class 43 power cars are being fitted with European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment. The fitment is part of the \u00a31.4 billion East [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,180,16115,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","category-rolling-stock","category-signalling-and-telecoms","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t