Digital signaling in UK rail network to spur transformation, reduce train delays

Friday, May 11, 2018

Network Rail confirmed that the rail travllers can look forward to  better and more reliable trains. It further unveiled plans for ‘digitising’ the signaling system on the Britain’s creaking railway network.

So far most of the lines are controlled by the railway version of traffic lights and other use semaphore signals based on the Victorian technology.

UK railways’ record as the safest in Europe has been maintained by them but the are prone to breakdown. On an average 50 signal failures occur in a day on the network constraining the number of trains which could use a stretch of track.

With the use of a ‘moving block the ‘headway’ can be reduced. It signals system that maintains  a safe zone both infront  and behind of each train.

Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, said that after the railway transformed from steam to diesel in the 1960s technological breakthrough was promising and vastly improved the railway for the benefit of millions of people and businesses relying on it.

Thameslink services is known to be ‘a world first’, running  automatically through central London has a capacity of departure every two-and –a half minutes on the line between St Pancras and London Bridge.

Over the coming years, they have a plan and funding to introduce these systems across large swathes of the railway network.

Between a period of 2019 and 2024 they intend to install digital technology on the commuter lines into the Britain’s busiest station, London Waterloo, routes across Pennines and southern part of the East Coast main line.

Within 15 years 70 percent of the journeys will benefit but this will still imply that less than half the total network will be fully equipped with digital signaling.

Chris Grayling the transport secretary mentioned that the passengers numbers in the recent years have doubled. Investment in new technology is needed to deliver the reliable and frequent trains that the passengers want.

Since the Victorian times there are investments in the biggest modernization of the railway to deliver what the passengers want to see which is faster and comfortable journeys.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, welcomed the move stating that this will help Britain in establishing its position as  a global leader in the digital rail technology.

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