Friday, August 23, 2024 Alstom advances digital rail on the UK’s East Coast Main Line with successful ETCS testing, setting the stage for fleet-wide upgrades and a new era of rail travel. Significant progress has been made in the journey to bring digital in-cab signalling to the UK’s East Coast Main Line (ECML) with the successful completion of dynamic testing for the European Train Control System (ETCS) by Alstom. This key milestone marks a crucial step in modernizing the rail line.
Alstom’s Digital and Integrated Systems (D&IS) team spearheaded the installation of the advanced in-cab signalling system on Govia Thameslink Railway’s Great Northern Class 387/1 387101. Following the installation, the train underwent rigorous testing across various operational scenarios to ensure its readiness and reliability under real-world conditions. The 387101, a member of the widely utilized Electrostar family of commuter units in South East England, stands out as the First in Class (FiC) for its fleet.
Remarkably, it is the first major commuter fleet in the UK to be retrofitted with digital signalling technology. This pioneering achievement sets the stage for similar upgrades across the extensive Electrostar fleet and paves the way for the broader implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) on additional routes throughout the country. “We are proud to have provided the cutting-edge technology and expertise necessary to retrofit the Class 387 fleet, paving the way .