UK: Alstom completed Stage 2 of the Cambridge Resignalling, Relock & Recontrol programme during an 11-day blockade over the Christmas period, which it describes as its largest-ever single UK resignalling project.
This involved resignalling, relocking and recontrol in an area from north of Cambridge station, through the future Cambridge South station to the boundaries at Great Chesterford and Foxton. The ageing eNtry-eXit panel at Cambridge powered signal box was replaced with two modular control systems, and Meldreth Road level crossing upgraded from automatic half barrier to a full manually-controlled barrier with CCTV.
The project is built around Alstom’s Smartlock 400 interlocking technology and MCS Infinity control platform. The work affected more than 100 signals, 76 point machines over 300 axle counter sections and provided 323 signalled routes controlled from two new interlockings. In addition, there were nine level crossing recontrols, and the recontrol of the SSI and RRI interlockings south of Whittlesford.
The commissioning required a full possession of Cambridge station and surrounding routes from December 25 to the morning of January 5. Approximately 250 people per shift worked across 23 shifts, totalling over 50 000 h undertaken by Alstom and its partners.
The Cambridge Stage 2 works form part of Network Rail’s £200m investment to modernise signalling across 200 track-km from Meldreth and Elsenham in the south to Ely in the north and Thurston to the east. This includes replacing equipment that has been in service for over 40 years. It will also provide a platform ready for future roll-out of ETCS.
Alstom was awarded the £130m design and delivery contract in 2022, the largest single contract to be awarded by Network Rail under the Major Signalling Framework Agreement.
Alstom will now work on Stage 3 during 2026, covering most of the level crossing works and recontrol of the Ely to Norwich route. Stage 4 covering control of the Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds lines will follow during 2027.
‘Resignalling projects of this size and complexity are not easy to deliver, but the determination and professionalism shown by the project and operations teams, and in collaboration with the train operating companies, has been exemplary’, said Darren Hay, Senior Portfolio Manager for C3R at Network Rail. ‘The successful completion of Stage 2 is a testament to how well everyone worked together to plan and deliver this commissioning stage for Cambridgeshire with the accuracy and control required to be able to hand the railway back to passengers on time.’
