Press release -
East Coast Main Line in-train signalling testing on August bank holiday
Network Rail have issued the following press release about digital signalling tests that will affect Thameslink and Great Northern train services on the late August bank holiday weekend:
- East Coast Main Line passengers are urged to check before they travel due to pioneering digital signalling testing this August bank holiday.
- Thameslink and Great Northern services between London and Peterborough/King’s Lynn will be affected.
- It’s part of continuing work on the £1.4bn East Coast Digital Programme.
Rail passengers are being advised to plan their journeys in advance ahead of pioneering work to test 21st century digital signalling systems on the East Coast Main Line.
The £1.4 billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme will see traditional, lineside signals replaced with signalling displayed inside drivers’ cabs, which will mean more reliable journeys and a greener railway for passengers in the future.
On Sunday 25 August, the first long-distance train will test the newly installed system between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin at high speed.
This is in preparation for trains to run on this route using digital signalling from late 2025.
For the testing to be carried out under controlled conditions, the railway needs to be closed in and around the affected section.
There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between Potters Bar, Peterborough and Royston, and between Hertford North and Stevenage on Sunday 25th August. Evening services from approximately 22:00 on Saturday 24 August and early morning services on Monday 26 August, until 09:00 will also be affected.
Rail replacement buses will keep passengers on the move*, with people reminded to leave extra time for their journeys.
Long distance services on the East Coast Main Line will also be affected by the work and details can be found here.
The advice from Network Rail and train operators is to check before you travel by using www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Ed Akers, Network Rail’s industry partnership director, ECDP, said: “The testing work will take us a step closer to the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, which will improve services for passengers and create a more reliable and resilient railway.
“We have carefully planned this work to avoid the busiest times of the August Bank Holiday weekend, and where possible passengers may be able to avoid this disruption by travelling before or after Sunday 25 August. I want to thank those passengers who will be affected for their patience and understanding of this work”.
Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director for Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink and Great Northern trains, said: “With no trains running on a key section of our route between London and Peterborough and Cambridge this August bank holiday, it’s essential that our customers plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time.”
The high speed European Train Control System (ETCS) testing planned for Sunday 25 August is expected to involve both a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train and a Network Rail Class 43 measurement train.
Testing and proving will continue between Welwyn and Hitchin at various stages in the coming months, involving different trains and onboard systems.
Much of the work will be done overnight, avoiding any impact on regular passenger services.
For further information about the ECDP please visit www.eastcoastdigitalprogramme.co.uk
Notes to Editors
*More detail on rail replacement buses / service impacts
Sunday 25 August
No trains will run between:
- Potters Bar and St Neots
- Potters Bar and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
A rail replacement bus service will run between:
- Potters Bar and Hitchin
- Hitchin and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
- St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield
- Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin
- St Neots and Bedford
- St Neots and Hitchin
Trains will run between:
- St Neots and Peterborough
- Royston and Cambridge/Kings Lynn
- London King’s Cross and Potters Bar
- Moorgate and Potters Bar / Hertford North
Saturday 24 August, from 22:00 until end of service
No trains will run between:
- Potters Bar and Hitchin
- Potters Bar and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
Additionally, from 00:15, no trains will run between:
- Hitchin and St Neots
From 22:00, a rail replacement bus service will run between:
- Potters Bar and Hitchin
- Hitchin and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
- St Albans City and Stevenage via Hitchin
From 00:15, a rail replacement bus service will also run between:
- Hitchin and St Neots
Monday 26 August, from start of service until approximately 09:00
No trains will run between:
- Potters Bar and St Neots
- Potters Bar and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
A rail replacement bus service will run between:
- Potters Bar and Hitchin
- Hitchin and Royston
- Hertford North and Stevenage
- St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield
- Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin
- St Neots and Bedford
- St Neots and Hitchin
Digital signalling
Digital signalling, using ETCS is a proven technology already in use in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. The ECDP will see the first introduction of ETCS to an intercity mainline in Great Britain, and will provide the foundation for the future expansion of digital signalling across the network. ETCS is currently in use in the central London section of Thameslink and on the Cambrian Line in Wales, and now on the Northern City Line (Finsbury Park to Moorgate), in the first stage of ECDP.
More reliability: With signalling information being provided directly to the driver, via a screen in their cab, there will no longer be a need to maintain a large amount of lineside equipment involved with traditional ‘traffic light’ signals. As a result, the amount of signalling-related engineering work will reduce in the future by around almost half. Additionally, trains are sometimes affected by signal failures; moving to a modern, digitally based system makes this less likely, potentially reducing thousands of hours of delays, and making train services more reliable.
More punctual services: Digital signalling gives train drivers continual information about the safe maximum speed for their train. It provides drivers with additional information about the route ahead, that today’s fixed ‘traffic light’ signals do not. This enables more ‘efficient’ operations, helping trains stay on time. The new technology allows continuous communication between the trackside and onboard equipment. Signallers can continuously communicate with every train on the network and respond in real time using digital tools to help smooth the flow of trains and recover services more quickly after disruption.
Greener journeys: Digital signalling contributes to a greener railway. The East Coast Main Line is already electrified, and these upgrades will deliver a further 55,000 tonne reduction in carbon emissions over 60 years – the equivalent to over 65,000 one-way flights from London to New York, or over 2 million passenger train journeys from London to Edinburgh. This is because there is much less physical equipment to produce and maintain compared with what’s needed for ‘traffic light’ signals. The estimated whole life carbon saving over a 60-year period (the expected life span of a ‘traditional’ signalling system) is around 39%. The technology also allows gentler braking, meaning journeys are smoother and use less energy. Finally, a more reliable and punctual railway will encourage more people to choose rail over road and air, ultimately reducing transport emissions for the long-term.
For further information about the ECDP please visit www.eastcoastdigitalprogramme.co.uk
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Joshua Chapman
Media Relations Manager
Network Rail
joshua.chapman@networkrail.co.uk
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For more information, contact the press office on 0203 750 2031.
Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
- Thameslink – cross-London services between Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge and Brighton/Horsham/East Grinstead, and between Luton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus services between London and Sevenoaks
- Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
- Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
- Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria
www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com
