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Author John Gunnell |
| Abstract The East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) is the largest and most complex signalling upgrade programme in Network Rail history. It requires the deployment of wayside and onboard signalling and communication technologies across more than 100 miles of track and impacting 27 operators and multiple vehicle fleets with mixed classes, all of which must be fitted with European Train Control System (ETCS) onboard equipment to use the route. ECDP impacts on all elements of the Railway System. London’s Northern City Line (NCL), a provided the perfect project ECDP pathfinder to trial the system in operation on the live Network Railway with limited performance impacts on the East Coast Mainline. It is important, and an industry requirement, to integrate Human Factors in major UK Rail projects with significant operational impact on various stakeholders. Effective Human Factors integration addresses the needs of technology development and business change projects within complex socio-technical systems. The ECDP NCL ‘pathfinder’ commissioned in early 2024, introducing one of the only ETCS digital signalling systems in the UK. The early operational ETCS system service on ECDP has provided an opportunity to explore the system performance, and importantly, the users feedback on the changes to their ways of working. |
