And, after another two years of the onward march of ... Grant Shapps? We get
this, from DfT» :
£1 billion technology investment to bring railway into 21st century
New funding for a more reliable and sustainable rail network.
- government makes £1 billion 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More than £1 billion of government funding will be used to replace outdated Victorian infrastructure with cutting edge digital signalling technology.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.
...
The funding will remove outdated lineside signalling and replace it with the European train control system (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.
...
The ECDP follows more than £350 million of prior investment to fit other services on the route with the new technology, with over 80% of passenger rolling stock on the East Coast Mainline South already using the ETCS.
Network Rail will prioritise the request for a further investment of £427 million as part of the next control period settlement, bringing the overall investment to just under £2 billion.
Like most "new" money, it's already been announced at least once. But this does confirm the plan is for Level 3 ETCS. One can only hope that the figure of 80% of passenger stock able to run without signals is going to go up in time, together with whatever the figure for other stuff is.
Click on the map to explore geographics
