Britain's new digital railway network

Britain's new digital railway network

It's a "moving block" system of train control.

johnthefireman wrote:Britain's new digital railway network

It's a "moving block" system of train control.

This is an interesting quote which contrasts Britain's railways with those in the US.

The UK railway network is at breaking point. Each year there are more people using it; last year there were 1.6 bn passenger journeys.
There has to be a drastic increase in capacity. This usually costs an enormous amount of money, so an alternative approach has been drawn up.

Note: The 'more people' has nothing to do with the franchising - not 'privatisation'. There are numerous reasons why more people want trains. one is the cost of petrol; another cause is the congestion of the roads making travel by car and bus slower.

A concept long overdue. Imagine if roads were managed the same way as railways are now , one car per 100 metre section or so . The capacity would be way down.
On congested routes, near stations, there is no reason why trains cant pretty much follow each other in, like buses or cars do. On the higher speed sections , more spacing is required , but the moving block means this can be kept to a minimum.

I think the capacity issue is one of the reasons why new high speed lines are needed (which of course will be moving block from the outset). It's not simply that people need to shave 5 minutes off a journey from London to Birmingham, but that the old network has just about reached its capacity limit, a limit which can be extended a little by use of moving block, but which cannot be extended indefinitely. If both passenger and freight traffic are to increase further (as they will), new lines are needed. I think those planning and building the new high speed lines are making a tactical error by lobbying for them simply as being faster - they should be advertising the capacity issue. The punter in the pews seems to accept the need to build more and bigger motorways and by-passes for cars and lorries, so one would hope they can also understand the need to build more railway lines for trains.

Correct. Generally, everywhere, the promoters of a new rail line don't explain to common people all the advantages that can be achieved, pointing only on the maximum speed. The road party instead know very well how to tell to have the people favour...

Ciao

johnthefireman wrote:Britain's new digital railway network

It's a "moving block" system of train control.

Actually somewhat old news. It is called ERTMS and is a European standard and has been undergoing testing in several places in Europe, including the Cambrian Line in Wales.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_ ... ent_System

Yes, indeed, it has been tested for years in Wales as you say, and is a European standard. My sense of the article/video was that it is now being rolled out into routine service in UK, but I could be wrong as I have no inside information.

Yes, parts of it are being implemented this weekend which may explain the coverage.

Thameslink (GTR) is using it through through the core to allow 24tph (and in fact today is the start of the big timetable shakeup that starts that process with an upgrade to 20tph for now, and massive changes on the other related franchises Great Northern, Southern, Gatwick Express).

Elizabeth LIne / Crossrail is partially using it, and Elizabeth Line opens later this year. ETCS Level 2 will be overlaid on top of the existing signalling system for Elizabeth Line trains to use between the Paddington area and Heathrow Junction on the GWML.

The central core of the Elizabeth Line got permission to use something called CBTC to allow for 24 to 30 tph as at decision time it was felt ETCS Level 3 wouldn't be ready, but supposedly a change from CBTC to ETCS L3 should occur in the future.

Should be interesting to see how it all works given the Elizabeth Line trains when fully in service will be using 3 different signal systems - CBTC in the core, ETCS L2 west of Paddington for a short while, and then the existing signalling system from Heathrow Junction west and on the eastern branches.

Then there is a further digital enhancment. 14tph will reverse at Paddington, reversing being achieved using a special siding so the platform isn't blocked. It has been set up so that the driver presses a button and the train drives itself into the siding, then reverses and drives into the new platform while the driver walks through the train to the opposite end cab. https://www.railengineer.uk/2016/01/08/ ... crossrail/

Grayling gives signal for rail to go digital

Last week, Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, announced that Britain’s signals will gradually be replaced with digital versions so that drivers get “real-time information” in their cabs about the location of other trains and no longer have to rely on trackside lights...

24 trains per hour is pretty impressive on the convoluted Thameslink. I can remember 24 trains a day !

The British Government has spent billions of pounds over the last 10 years doing serious infrastructure work, the result is a greatly expanded Thameslink which (starting yesterday with the new timetable) now had amongst other things a Cambridge - Brighton service, Peterborough has been added, and more.

As for the government announcement, they are great at making announcements and not so great at following through. Prime example being the massive electrification announced and now seriously cut back.

But their hand may be forced unless passenger numbers drop given that much of the 3rd rail network is essentially now at capacity and they can't make the trains any longer (they have already been expanding them to 12 cars) and the UK loading gauge won't allow double-decker trains.

It's also worth noting that while parts of the British network are looking to go digital, at the other extreme parts of the network are still using signal boxes and semaphores.

Much (all?) of Cornwall still is done with local signal boxes and semaphores, and what is now apparently the largest still in operation in the world Severn Bridge Junction box is expected to remain in operation for another 10 to 30 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Bridge_Junction

And even more amazing , the number of attended level crossings still in use. Usually on lines with one train an hour or less.

johnthefireman wrote:I think the capacity issue is one of the reasons why new high speed lines are needed (which of course will be moving block from the outset). It's not simply that people need to shave 5 minutes off a journey from London to Birmingham, but that the old network has just about reached its capacity limit, a limit which can be extended a little by use of moving block, but which cannot be extended indefinitely. If both passenger and freight traffic are to increase further (as they will), new lines are needed. I think those planning and building the new high speed lines are making a tactical error by lobbying for them simply as being faster - they should be advertising the capacity issue. The punter in the pews seems to accept the need to build more and bigger motorways and by-passes for cars and lorries, so one would hope they can also understand the need to build more railway lines for trains.

I couldnt agree more. The concept has been 'sold' to the public very badly