The UK railway company TransPennine Express (TPE) plans to enhance its Class 185 train fleet by incorporating digital signaling technology known as the European Train Control System (ETCS).
This upgrade is seen as a “key” aspect of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) project, a multi-billion-pound investment to enhance rail connections between cities such as Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York.
In March this year, the government announced a new allocation of £415m ($553.4m) in funding for the TRU project, aimed at advancing the programme further. This investment will additionally facilitate the future installation of ETCS.
The enhancement project will take place at Siemens Mobility’s Ardwick facility in collaboration with Eversholt, who own the TPE’s Class 185 train fleet.
Siemens Mobility UK&I Rolling Stock and Customer Services joint CEO and managing director Sambit Banerjee said: “We are pleased to be working with TransPennine Express and Eversholt Rail to enhance passenger journeys, upgrading our Class 185 fleet with ETCS digital signalling technology as part of Siemens Mobility’s mission to transform rail travel.”
The ETCS enables trains to operate more closely together without compromising safety, facilitates more frequent services on existing tracks and helps reduce delays.
The ETCS delivers instantaneous information about train velocities and stopping distances right into the driver’s cabin, enabling better management of railway operations.
This continuous monitoring enhances safety by ensuring that trains operate within safe speed limits and positions.
Additionally, the resilience of the railway system is expected to improve, leading to quicker recovery from disruptions, fewer maintenance issues, and a reduced need for engineering work, stated TPE.
Chris Nutton, TPE’s TRU and major projects director, stated: “The implementation of ETCS on our Class 185 trains will mark significant progress for railway transportation.”
“This technology will not only enhance safety and reliability but also support the broader Transpennine Route Upgrade.”
In February this year, Jacobs was
selected by Network Rail
as the technical services integration delivery partner for the TRU
“The TransPennine Express plans to outfit Class 185 trains with ETCS technology,” which was initially developed and shared by
Railway Technology
, a Dailyexeowned brand.
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