Skip to main content

Government invests in northern digital railway plans to improve trans-Pennine

The UK government is developing plans for Britain’s first digital intercity railway in the north, as it invests US$17.5 billion (£13 billion) in improving journeys across the region. The UK government is developing plans for Britain’s first digital intercity railway in the north, as it invests US$17.5 billion (£13 billion) in improving journeys across the region.
September 25, 2017 Read time: 1 min

The UK government is developing plans for Britain’s first digital intercity railway in the north, as it invests US$17.5 billion (£13 billion) in improving journeys across the region.

As part of the Great North Rail Project, major upgrades are being developed for the TransPennine route between Manchester, Leeds and York from 2022 - to slash journey times between Leeds and Manchester to 40 minutes.

Digital signalling technology is already in operation on the London Underground and 5021 Network Rail will now develop options to make the TransPennine route the first digitally controlled intercity rail line in the country.

Network Rail will receive up to US$6.7 million (£5 million) to develop proposals for embedding digital technology between Manchester and York, including a system of advanced train traffic management – so that a computer works out how to route the trains most efficiently along the line.

UTC

Related Content

  • April 10, 2012
    Why integrated traffic management needs a cohesive approach
    Traffic control is increasingly being viewed as one essential element of a wider ‘system of systems’ – the smart city. Jason Barnes, Jon Masters and David Crawford report on latest ideas and efforts for making cities ‘smarter’ Virtually every element of the fabric and utilitarian operations that make urban areas tick can now be found somewhere in the mix that is the ‘smart city’ agenda. Ideas have expanded and projects pursued in different directions as the rhetoric on making cities ‘smarter’ has grown. App
  • September 2, 2013
    Cash injection to deliver smart card technology to UK rail passengers
    The UK government is investing US$4.4 million into a trial of paperless ticketing as it starts its multi-million pound push to deliver smart card technology to rail passengers across the south east, Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced. Train operator c2c, which operates between London and the Essex coast, will upgrade ticketing systems at all of its stations outside London, paving the way for passengers to start using smart cards in the region. This will be rolled out on services outside London fr
  • August 1, 2014
    Cubic (ITMS) wins key London traffic signals maintenance contract
    Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Cubic (ITMS), a subsidiary of Cubic Transportation Systems, a six-year contract worth some US$85 million to maintain and expand the use of intelligent traffic signals, as well as new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, at strategic points across the city. The contract includes a provision for a further two-year extension. The Traffic Control Management Services 2 (TCMS2) contract covers the whole of London. Cubic has been assigned responsibility for 1,000 traff
  • October 5, 2018
    One in seven UK drivers would cross a level crossing illegally, says study
    One in seven UK drivers would drive over a level crossing before the barrier or gate has opened, according to new research. Research agency Populus carried out a study on behalf of Network Rail which reveals six UK drivers have been killed at level crossings in the last five years. There are also around 46 incidents every week in the UK involving vehicles at level crossings – a third of which are caused by lorries, followed by cars at 28%. According to the report, one in nine drivers would go over a l