Passengers in East Yorkshire will soon benefit from a more modern, reliable railway as Network Rail is carrying out major work to upgrade the signalling system at Bridlington.
On Friday 22 October, signallers at Bridlington South signal box will pull the levers for the last time – before the 65-lever frame is upgraded with a modern control panel. Over nine days, the older mechanical signals next to the track will also be replaced with modern colour light ones.
The signalling equipment has been in place for over 60 years. Although it is iconic, it is now outdated and renewing it will improve reliability and reduce disruption on the railway.
Signalling is a complex traffic light system for the railway which tells train drivers when it is safe to proceed and what route their train will take. It is essential for keeping trains a safe distance away from each other and for reducing delays.
Between Saturday 23 and Sunday 31 October, teams will also upgrade around 1.2km of track. Carrying out both pieces of work in just nine days reduces disruption for passengers and means that they can benefit from smoother, more reliable journeys much quicker.
For this work to take place safely, no trains will run to or from Bridlington between Saturday 23 and Sunday 31 October. Bus replacement services will keep passengers moving between Driffield and Bridlington/Filey/Scarborough during this time.
Passengers are advised to check their journey via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator and allow plenty of time.
Chris Gee, Operations Director for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “Many people, including myself, will be sorry to see this iconic equipment taken out of action but it is necessary to modernise the railway, boost reliability and reduce delays for passengers travelling to and from Bridlington and across East Yorkshire.
“We’ve planned this work carefully so that we can also improve the track whist the line is closed – preventing disruption over multiple weekends for passengers. These improvements can only be completed safely when no trains are running in the area. Buses will connect passengers and we would like to thank people for their patience.”
Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said: “The work being carried out by Network Rail is key to providing our customers with future-proofed journeys to and from Bridlington.
“We’ll be working closely with colleagues across the rail industry to keep disruption to a minimum and to ensure our customers can still get where they need to be while the work takes place.
“I’d like to thank customers in advance for their patience and understanding and ask anyone thinking of travelling to or from Bridlington to plan journeys carefully and additional time for travel.”
The roads at Bridlington Quay level crossing and Carnaby level crossing will also be closed during this time, with signposted diversions in place.
Photo credit: Network Rail
