Many of us will remember the introduction of the 1960/70s Power Signal Boxes (PSB) that covered large areas of route and replaced many traditional mechanical boxes. Not only did these make considerable cost savings, but improved rail operational control was achieved by means of the staff on ‘back row’ desks who could make train regulation decisions based upon the much wider view of emerging train movements.
Huge mimic diagrams showing the whereabouts of every train plus entry exit push button route setting was the technology of the day. These PSBs have now largely been replaced (the oldest – Plymouth – commissioned in 1960 is still in operation). Many have been superseded by Integrated Electronic Control Centres (IECC) which introduced screen-based pictures of train movements with route setting carried out using a tracker ball and cursor, each area of railway being controlled from a signaller’s work station. Improved transmission technology enabled even larger areas of control to be achieved.
New technologies such as automatic route setting (ARS) and automatic code insertion (ACI) for when trains terminate and start a new journey, all became possible with the emerging digital technology.
Separate from the signalling centres were Regional Control Offices that carried out all the routine activities of train and crew rostering, timetabling amendments, advice to stations on passenger information, plus management of any incidents. These became fragmented with privatisation, although attempts were made to continue the responsibilities of both infrastructure and train operations under a single roof.
A new vision was required for the 21st century which has led to the introduction of an even wider area of control and the merging of all rail operational activities into a single building. Some of these are housed in new accommodation while others have utilised existing power box sites if sufficient space was available. Many of these are up and running, and judged successful in yielding the expected benefits.
I was privileged to visit the York Rail Operations Centre (ROC) to see what transpires within. The building opened in 2014 with due ceremony and as one would expect, security is significant. The centre houses a regional control room, a signalling centre and an adjacent electrification control room (ECR).
Regional control
An entire floor is dedicated to the control activities over what was once the old Eastern Region of British Rail covering from Kings Cross to the Scottish border including West and South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, but not East Anglia which had become a separate region before privatisation. Several organisations exist on this floor, including Network Rail, LNER, Northern, Govia Thameslink Railway, and a number of the Freight companies. Being in one room makes for easy decision making on a person-to-person basis. Other TOCs which run trains within the area such as TransPennine Express and CrossCountry have their centralised control activities elsewhere e.g., Manchester, but a close liaison is maintained with York.
All the usual operations tasks are performed here: staff and crew rostering, rolling stock utilisation and maintenance schedules, the impact of engineering work and planned possessions, updating of passenger information utilising Darwin system feeds, and passing this information out to stations to change displays or verbal announcements.
The control undertakes short term planning activities when changes to the train service are required, usually caused by out of course running. These include short turn backs and additional station stops. The controllers can talk directly to trains when the circumstances warrant it by means of the GSM-R radio network.
Critical these days is weather forecasting, and risk analysis is undertaken as to potential impact of bad weather as information is received on a regular basis from the meteorological offices. Wind speeds are of particular interest and if these exceed 60mph, then speed restrictions will be imposed.
Incident management is a regular occurrence and something will usually happen every day. Trespassing and people intent on suicide are an ever-present risk and often they are linked. Drivers are sometimes reluctant to drive past a trespasser in case a suicide results. Cable cuts and theft can cause havoc to train services and there are known hot spot areas where these regularly occur. Once an incident occurs, a new facility is the creation of a map on a big screen showing the geographical area of the incident including all local roads and access points.
Knowing the boundaries of the emergency services is very important as calling the wrong service can result in significant time delay. The screen information is compiled from local Wi-Fi sources. Infrastructure problems remain the usual cause of disruption, be it points failures, track circuit or axle counter faults, overhead electrification de-wiring, level crossing mis-operation, and such like.
The impact of social media is important. The railway should always be ahead of public offerings with updates or changes to rail services, but this can be a challenge. This is particularly important down in the London area where the train service is very intensive, especially with Thameslink trains that run through the capital to destinations south of the Thames. These services will be given priority at junctions and two track sections (Welwyn tunnels and viaduct) to avoid late running into London Bridge and other routes south of Blackfriars.
The control office is staffed on a 24-hour basis with most controllers working a 12-hour shift pattern which proves popular as it allows three or four days off at a time. Most of the controllers have previous railway experience so are aware of railway operations and the circumstances that can arise. It was good to see an almost equal mix of men and women.
Signalling the railway
Signalling is controlled on a separate floor. The areas covered do not necessarily coincide with the control room as they result from Power Box closures. To date, York signals the East Coast main line from Kings Cross to Stoke tunnel, which is just short of Grantham, and covers the areas previously signalled by Kings Cross and Peterborough PSBs. A gap then exists as northwards from there is Doncaster PSB which is still active. York ROC re-takes control over the former York PSB area to just short of Darlington, while the existing Tyneside IECC controls from there to the Scottish border. This might seem somewhat illogical, but it is perfectly manageable, and similar situations exist in other ROCs e.g. Exeter which controls either side of Plymouth but not Plymouth itself.
The ECML work stations are like previous IECC layouts but to assist the signallers with an overall view of the entire route, large ceiling hung screens are provided which can be seen from all the work stations. In time, it would be logical for all of the East Coast signalling to be controlled from the ROC but there are no immediate plans for this to happen. In the London area, the route controllers and train operations controllers for GTR are now co-located with the signallers as an aid to speed of communication and decision making.
An earlier section of the signalling floor has work stations covering the former Leeds and Sheffield PSB areas and additionally areas of north Lincolnshire right through to Cleethorpes. This section does not have the advantage of the high-level screens.
Railways on the eastern side of England have a number of level crossings including a few remaining on the ECML. On the secondary routes, most of these have been converted to Obstacle Detection operation with full barriers but where road traffic is heavy including those on the ECML, CCTV viewing and control is used.
There is only limited use of ARS and as yet there is no Traffic Management System (TMS) in place for the areas covered. Some localised automatic priority routing facilities are in place using proprietary technology, for instance at Kings Cross. Many of the signals which were designated automatic in PSB days (viz on plain line these would reset to yellow and green following the passage of a train) have been made controlled signals thus giving the signallers greater control when out of course running occurs.
In talking to the signallers, the use of GSM-R is universal and much appreciated in avoiding drivers having to descend from the cab to use the signal post telephone. These latter are hardly ever used, and it will be a challenge for Great British Railways as to whether these need to be retained.
Like the controllers, the signallers work 12-hour shifts and many have been recruited ‘off the street’. The ROC has several training rooms equipped with simulators which are vital in getting signallers used to the real railway. The training rooms are also used for project led alterations to track layouts and associated infrastructure changes.
ETCS
As is well documented elsewhere, the southern end of the ECML is to be the first application of the European Train Control System (ETCS) with all lineside signals removed. So far, only the short section from Finsbury Park to Moorgate has been commissioned with such confidence that the signals were physically removed on the day of changeover. The system is working well but the work station from where this section is controlled still shows ‘phantom’ signals that represent the movement authorities that can be allowed. Extensive testing took place before the changeover, made easier by all trains using the branch being of the same type and duly fitted with the onboard equipment.
More challenging will be the next section from Welwyn to Hitchin which is currently under test and will be commissioned next year. Here, lineside signals must be retained for a period of time to cater for unfitted rolling stock and drivers not trained on ETCS usage. A special project room in the ROC has been set up to develop and teach the new operating procedures and opportunities.
Electrification control
Although not visited on the day, the overhead electrification system on the ECML previously controlled from Hornsey and Doncaster Electrification Control Rooms (ECR) is located at York in an adjacent building. The ECR operation is soon to be moved into the ROC in order to have everything under one roof. The entire UK electrified network is being re-controlled and managed under the Traction Power Centralised Management System (TPCMS) project. York is one of six ECRs that control the 25kV network nationally. Software upgrades are currently being introduced and the project should be completed by the end of this year. Rugby ROC is the only one so far to include electrification control within the same premises but will soon be joined by York. The TPCMS programme was explained in Issue 212 (Jan-Feb 2025).
In summary
This was a fascinating visit. Above all it demonstrated the huge benefits that a ROC can bring, both in operational efficiency and cost reduction. It is a moving feast as more and more facilities will be integrated into the ROC as older areas of signalling are closed and new technical systems are introduced.
Traffic management must be one of these as it will give controllers an insight into how train services are running way beyond the distance of the immediate ROC areas. As the railway embraces digital technology to an ever-widening extent, so the ROCs will make good use of the innovations coming into fruition.
Thanks are extended to Sam MacDougall for allowing the visit to take place and for explaining the various aspects of work.
Image credit: Clive Kessell