Network Rail News............. (Network Rail Media) 5th April 2012

The largest-ever scheme to modernise the 1960s signalling infrastructure on the Great Western main line has started.

The £400m improvement will significantly benefit services travelling through Bristol, Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot, Reading, Newbury and Oxford.

The major upgrade will also support the 10-year plan to expand services on the Great Western main line, catering to the 51% forecast increase in rail demand by the end of the decade.

In addition, the improvement work is also vital to prepare the signalling infrastructure, so that it is compatible with an electrified railway.

The four-year scheme, once completed, could help cut delays by 50%, thus significantly boosting rail performance. Around 25,000 minutes of delays on average each year on the Great Western main line are potentially caused by problems with aging signalling equipment.

Patrick Hallgate, route managing director for Network Rail Western said: “We are safeguarding the long-term future of a vital rail artery in the South West of England and Thames Valley. The Great Western main line is running out of room with nearly 30m journeys and a growth rate of at least 5% each year. A robust and modernised signalling infrastructure is vital to cope with this burgeoning growth.

“In a few years’ time, the signalling infrastructure will be considered life-expired but we are ahead of the game by starting the improvements now. This programme is a vital building block for the transformation of Great Western, boosting performance, paving the way for electrification and supports major enhancement plans in Bristol, Swindon, Oxford, Reading and Newbury.”

Mike Hogg, head of operations for First Great Western said: "We are working closely with Network Rail to ensure the benefits of resignalling can be achieved with as little disruption as possible to our customers."

The improvement will be carried out in five stages, starting from the Didcot area, to minimise disruption. Invensys has recently been appointed as the main contractor to deliver the work in the Didcot area.

The biggest programme of work will be carried out in the Bristol area, which is forecast to experience the highest number of passenger growth of 44% in the next decade. Around £150m will be invested in upgrading the signalling infrastructure in the area. The programme of work is designed to complement the capacity-boosting proposal to revamp the railway track around Bristol Temple Meads.

Around £50m will be invested between Swindon and Chippenham and Swindon and Gloucester as part of this scheme. This work will complement the scheme to redouble the track between Swindon and Kemble, bringing better performance and potentially enabling more trains to run.

Around £20m will be invested in upgrading the signalling between Newbury and Reading. As part of this programme, work will be carried out to upgrade existing tracks to allow passenger trains to run. This will enable better train movement and potentially allow more trains to run, especially in times of congestions on race days at Newbury.

The signalling upgrade forms part of a wider ten-year, £5bn plan to transform the Great Western main line. The transformation programme comprises of several core packages of work, including electrification, between London and Bristol.

The signalling upgrade is the first core package of work in this transformation programme.

Notes:

Delivery timeline2012: route between Didcot and Swindon and Didcot and Oxford
2014: route between Swindon and Chippenham, Swindon and Gloucester, Swindon and Hullavington (route to Bristol Parkway)
2015: route between Newbury and Reading
2015: Oxford area
2015: route between Bath and Parson Street via Bristol Temple Meads, Swindon and Bristol Parkway
Overall improvement work - Replace 1960s signalling control panels with modernised electronic control system
- Centralise signalling control, which manages the movement of trains, under one roof to improve communication and responsiveness during incidents
- Replace old signalling gantries and cantilevers with straight posts, where possible, to make room for overhead electric wires
- Improve signalling equipment, including points which allow trains to switch tracks to different paths, to become compatible with an electrified railway
- Replace filament signal heads with LED heads, which typically could last between 25,000 to 100,000 hours and are environmentally friendly
- New technologies and methodologies will be trialled with the aim of deterring cable theft and minimising the impact of any cable theft on the railway operation
How railway signals workRailway signals are integral to the safety of passengers and work to keep trains separated from each other at all times. A yellow signal tells a driver that the next signal is at red and they can begin braking in plenty of time. A signalling system is controlled by the interlocking, which is full of logical information about what train movements are allowed given the position of trains and the route for which junctions are set.

The interlocking, the brains of the signalling system, is designed to prevent conflicting train movements from taking place. This is fed to the signals and points. This programme of work aims to upgrade the interlocking from the old-fashioned relay system to powerful computers.

With the new system, signallers will be managing the safe passage of trains from a state-of-the-art centralised hub using the latest digital technology.
To improve cost efficiency, new technology in the form of lightweight signals will be used in places as part of this upgrade. These innovative signals have reliable LED powered lights, a lightweight structure requiring less foundation that can be lowered to the ground for safe, efficient maintenance. The structure is quicker to install, more enduring, more environmentally friendly (uses less materials and power) and is safer for staff to maintain as it removes the need to work at height.

In addition, an innovative plug coupler technology will also be used to overcome complex wiring changes and this means work can be carried out much quicker with little disruptions to passengers.


NETWORK RAIL STARTS WORK FOR HEATHROW CROSSRAIL SERVICES 

Work has begun on the Stockley Interchange in west London, a crucial part of the Crossrail network that will allow Crossrail services to operate to and from Heathrow.

When Crossrail services begin, even more trains will travel along the Great Western main line so work is needed to improve capacity. The current junction at Stockley allows trains to leave the main line and continue to Heathrow Airport.

Network Rail, on behalf of Crossrail Limited, will build a new single track viaduct for all trains from Heathrow towards London. Work is due to complete in 2017. Existing train services to Heathrow will continue to run throughout.

Stockley Interchange will allow Crossrail trains to join the branch to Heathrow without delaying - or being delayed by - fast trains to the west, thus increasing capacity and reliability on the extremely busy Great Western main line.

Jorge Mendonça, programme director for Network Rail, said: “The Stockley Interchange is critical to unlocking the benefits of Crossrail. We’ve spent years planning and preparing to reach this point, so today is an important milestone. As well as starting the building works, we’re planning the rest of our programme to make sure that passengers and our lineside neighbours notice as little disruption as possible. This represents a very successful start to our delivery of this Crossrail structure.”

Matt White, Crossrail surface director, said: “The major works at Stockley Interchange will allow Crossrail services to operate to Heathrow. Crossrail will provide four ten-car trains per hour on the Great Western main line in each direction during the peak between central London and Heathrow with two per hour to West Drayton and four per hour to Maidenhead.”

Crossrail trains from Heathrow will run into Paddington and under London in newly-constructed tunnels. The service will offer the ability to travel from Heathrow to the West End, the City, and Canary Wharf without changing, reducing journey times and inconvenience.

When Crossrail opens, passengers will be able to reach Heathrow from Canary Wharf in 39 minutes, Liverpool Street in 33 minutes and Bond Street in 26 minutes.

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network, covering 70km (43.5 miles) of track and 28 stations from Maidenhead in the west to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.

Notes:

The current junction at Stockley is used by Heathrow Connect in both directions and Heathrow Express in the London direction. The viaduct will start on the western side of the existing airport lines. It will then cross over all of the tracks in the railway corridor, turning eastwards and will continue on the northern side of the railway tracks.

The viaduct will then widen and a junction for Crossrail and Heathrow Express services will be installed on the track. This junction will allow Heathrow Express services to cross above the slow lines and descend to main line track as at present. Crossrail services will remain on the northern side, descend on a second ramp and run on a dedicated track, which will then connect with the existing up slow line via a new junction constructed at a point just before Hayes & Harlington station.
The timetable for the works is as follows:

- Late March 2012 – Installation of a retaining wall begins
- February 2014 – Western flyover completed
- December 2014 – Northern viaduct completed
- September 2017 – Project completion

As this work progresses it is likely to involve some night-time and weekend working, as some sections can only be built when train services are not running.
Network Rail delivering Crossrail
Network Rail is a key partner in Crossrail and is making significant investment in upgrading the network around the capital to deliver it. This complements Network Rail’s other work to increase capacity and improve performance across Britain.

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network. Its work will integrate Crossrail with the national rail network, delivering faster, more frequent trains into central London from the east and west. The work includes upgrading 42 miles of track, redeveloping 28 stations, and renewing 15 bridges, as well as removing around 1m cubic metres of spoil from the tunnel excavation by rail, reducing the need for construction traffic on the roads.
About Crossrail
The total funding envelope available to deliver Crossrail is £14.8bn. The Crossrail route will pass through 37 stations and run 118 km (73 miles) from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km (13 miles) tunnels below central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

When Crossrail opens it will increase London's rail-based transport network capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration and cutting journey times across the city. Crossrail services are due to commence through central London in 2018.

Crossrail is being delivered by Crossrail Limited (CRL). CRL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London. Crossrail is jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport and Transport for London.