Rail
minister
Huw
Merriman
has
visited
King’s
Cross
station
in
London
to
see
progress
with
the
installation
of
digital
signalling
on
the
southern
section
of
the
East
Coast
Main
Line.

During
the
past
year
the
programme
to
introduce
the
European
Train
Control
System
has
seen
newly-equipped
trains
used
on
the
Northern
City
Line
between
Finsbury
Park
and
Moorgate,
while
the
first
retrofitted
passenger
trains
have
been
tested
at
the
upgraded
Rail
Innovation
and
Development
Centre.
More
rolling
stock
will
be
fitted
soon,
including
suburban
passenger
trains
and
freight
locomotives.

Almost
3,000
drivers
will
be
trained
to
work
with
information
on
a
monitor
in
the
cab
instead
of
from
signals
by
the
lineside,
and
there
are
also
plans
to
fit
ETCS
on
those
steam
locomotives
which
are
approved
for
special
runs
on
the
main
line.

The
past
year
has
also
seen
government
approval
of
the
Full
Business
Case
for
the
project,
which
is
supported
by
over
£1
billion
of
further
investment.

The
rail
minister
was
shown
the
project
during
his
visit
to
King’s
Cross
yesterday,
when
he
said:
‘It
has
truly
been
a
year
of
breakthrough
delivery
on
our
East
Coast
Digital
Programme,
from
the
commissioning
of
new
signalling
to
the
testing
of
trains.’

Network
Rail’s
director,
Industry
Partnership
for
Digital
Railway,
Toufic
Machnouk,
said:
‘We
are
creating
the
future
railway.
We
are
pushing
the
boundaries
with
our
collaboration
across
the
industry,
and
demonstrating
what
the
industry
can
achieve
when
working
together.’