The United Kingdom’s first digitally signaled high-speed services have moved a step closer, with Grand Central’s Class 180 fleet receiving regulatory approval under APiS for the first-in-class fitment of the European Train Control System.
This paves the way for the fleet of 10 vehicles, retrofitted by Alstom with digital signaling equipment, to operate with its ETCS enabled.
Grand Central – Arriva Group’s open access operator – will see its Angel Trains-owned fleet undergo software updates and then enter into an extended period of 50,000 miles of fault-free running in December. Alongside this, the company’s train drivers are being trained to use Level National Train Control mode to operate ETCS-fitted trains over conventionally signaled routes.
The fleet is expected to begin using digital in-cab signaling on the East Coast Main Line between Welwyn and Hitchin by spring 2027.
The introduction of digital signaling through the East Coast Digital Program will deliver more efficient, more reliable and greener services over the long term. The system also makes the railway safer by monitoring the train’s speed and stopping it if needed.
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