Cambridge Area Signalling Renewal

[TheBigD]

Cambridge re-signalling - Network Rail

We’re investing £194 million to renew the signalling system for the Cambridge area and improve efficiency and reliability for passengers and freight users Signalling systems are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the railway. With the demands to run more trains, there is a need to...

www.networkrail.co.uk

Closure of three signalboxes (Dullingham, Chippenham Junction, and Bury Yard), upgrades to seven level crossings, and the renewal of signalling equipment in Cambridge PSB etc etc.

Completion planned for winter 2024.

 

[Brissle Girl]

No mention of any work at Ely though regarding capacity improvements (which like so many projects appears to be progressing at a snail's pace).

 

[TheBigD]

No mention of any work at Ely though regarding capacity improvements (which like so many projects appears to be progressing at a snail's pace).

Separate project, though I would assume that assive provision for Ely improvements would be included in the Cambridge scheme.

 

[TheDavibob]

How (if at all) will this link up with the ECML resignalling?

 

[dk1]

How (if at all) will this link up with the ECML resignalling?

It won’t go anywhere near the ECML.

Been waiting for the best part of a year to hear when this work will finally start. Be so good to have Croxton back to 90mph following the 40TSR that’s been on for the past 15 years.

 

[a good off]

Hopefully there will be some passive provision to cater for the potential redoubling of Newmarket to Coldham Lane Jn.

 

[Class 170101]

How (if at all) will this link up with the ECML resignalling?

It won’t go anywhere near the ECML.

But Cambridge PSB does fringe with York ROC just east of Royston

 

[dk1]

But Cambridge PSB does fringe with York ROC just east of Royston

That’s is rather splitting hairs.

 

[wagnaga]

Do the crossing changes mean the barriers will be down for longer to road traffic?

 

[Bald Rick]

Do the crossing changes mean the barriers will be down for longer to road traffic?

Yes, except at Dullingham where the barriers will be down for about the same time as the existing gates.


I’ll miss Chippenham Jn, one of my favourite ‘boxes.

 

[Tio Terry]

I remember being heavily involved in the previous resignalling when Cambridge PSB was built and the miniature lever frames at Cambridge North and South were replaced.

 

[dk1]

Yes, except at Dullingham where the barriers will be down for about the same time as the existing gates.


I’ll miss Chippenham Jn, one of my favourite ‘boxes.

Croxton will block the road for much longer but that’s more than off set by the improvements for rail.

 

[306024]

I’ll miss Chippenham Jn, one of my favourite ‘boxes.

You can take it home as a rabbit hutch. There is still Three Horse Shoes for an exciting day out

 

[dk1]

You can take it home as a rabbit hutch. There is still Three Horse Shoes for an exciting day out

Chippenham is a dream of a location with the horse racing training behind.

 

[Tio Terry]

Chippenham is a dream of a location with the horse racing training behind.

Not easy to get to by road though!

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Cambridge re-signalling - Network Rail

We’re investing £194 million to renew the signalling system for the Cambridge area and improve efficiency and reliability for passengers and freight users Signalling systems are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the railway. With the demands to run more trains, there is a need to...

www.networkrail.co.uk

Closure of three signalboxes (Dullingham, Chippenham Junction, and Bury Yard), upgrades to seven level crossings, and the renewal of signalling equipment in Cambridge PSB etc etc.

Completion planned for winter 2024.

The bulk of signalling costs these days comes in providing the lineside signalling not the interlocking so with ETCS being sold as the cost effective way to resignal the railways this seems to be a waste of money. Also why not deal with Ely-Kings Lynn section as well which is a dam site older?

 

[306024]

Chippenham is a dream of a location with the horse racing training behind.

Not easy to get to by road though!

Go by horse. Yes one of the highlights of getting up early for the 05.40 Colchester to Peterborough in the summer.

 

[dk1]

Not easy to get to by road though!

No Terry mate. Makes it extra special.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not easy to get to by road though!

Hardly a long walk though!

 

[TheBigD]

You can take it home as a rabbit hutch. There is still Three Horse Shoes for an exciting day out

I seemed to have missed the "exciting" part everytime I've been there!

Not easy to get to by road though!

I remember getting the directions and instructions for the first time I had to go there. I thought they were taking the p!ss!!!

 

[Tio Terry]

Hardly a long walk though!

Depends what you have to carry with you!

In fairness, the last time I had to go there was around 40 years ago so I guess access has improved since then.

 

[Bald Rick]

Depends what you have to carry with you!

Didn’t you have ‘people’ to carry things for you?

 

[Tio Terry]

Didn’t you have ‘people’ to carry things for you?

Back then, I was the one doing the carrying for others!

 

[MarkyT]

The bulk of signalling costs these days comes in providing the lineside signalling not the interlocking so with ETCS being sold as the cost effective way to resignal the railways this seems to be a waste of money. Also why not deal with Ely-Kings Lynn section as well which is a dam site older?

ETCS doesn't save that much, mainly just the signals themselves, which on a fairly sparsely signalled secondary route like this are usually not that many in number, nor that complex or expensive in form. The folding lightweight integrated led units are suitable for most applications in such areas, and once erected are nearly maintenance free. With ETCS, you still need all the train detection and point control equipment out in the field, with attendant housings, power supplies and cabling and 'Signals away' ETCS as to be implemented on ECML south of Peterborough needs all trains fully fitted with the tech. There is no doubt that the Cambridge work here will be specified 'ETCS ready'.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

ETCS doesn't save that much, mainly just the signals themselves, which on a fairly sparsely signalled secondary route like this are usually not that many in number, nor that complex or expensive in form. The folding lightweight integrated led units are suitable for most applications in such areas, and once erected are nearly maintenance free. With ETCS, you still need all the train detection and point control equipment out in the field, with attendant housings, power supplies and cabling and 'Signals away' ETCS as to be implemented on ECML south of Peterborough needs all trains fully fitted with the tech. There is no doubt that the Cambridge work here will be specified 'ETCS ready'.

The mainline isn't sparsely signalled there are far older installations like Ely to Kings Lynn as well as many other routes across NR that need modernisation rather than Cambridge

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

I thought that the main reason for the work was silver migration within Cambridge PSB.

 

[edwin_m]

I thought that the main reason for the work was silver migration within Cambridge PSB.

I don't know about this specific case but other equipment of similar vintage has suffered from this - Edinburgh springs to mind. Condition is much more important than age when deciding whether to replace signalling. Also mechanical signalling can be kept going for ever as long as some specialist technical skills are kept up, but relay-based signalling such as at Cambridge is dependent on the lifetime of the wiring and if that's degraded out there's not much choice other than to replace it. Computer-based signalling can suffer from obsolescence, but it may be possible to replace some combination of control system, interlocking and trackside equipment without replacing the whole lot.

 

[TheBigD]

It appears that there are also some track alterations alongside this project.

Amogst the cahnges the main ones seem to be that Chippenham Junction on the Bury line sees new points and crossover with the linespeed being raised to 40mph off the Cambridge line and across the crossover.

At Cambridge itself, it looks like the point work is removed from the South end of what is locally known as "the cupboard" which will prevent trains from the South being recessed here before entering the station from the South. It will still be available for shunt moves from the station though.

What is locally known as "the gas" which is the loop on the down line adjacent to Coldhams Lane depot is also removed.

 

[Magdalia]

At Cambridge itself, it looks like the point work is removed from the South end of what is locally known as "the cupboard" which will prevent trains from the South being recessed here before entering the station from the South. It will still be available for shunt moves from the station though.

How does that fit with the Cambridge South proposal, which includes the addition of a similar loop on the up side?

What is locally known as "the gas" which is the loop on the down line adjacent to Coldhams Lane depot is also removed.

This would eliminate the facility for steam specials to take water at Cambridge.

By the way, the Gas is so called because it gave access to the yard where coal was unloaded for the gas works, which was on the site of what is now Newmarket road Tesco. The coal was tripped across Newmarket Road in steam lorries, at least that's what my father told me!

 

[TheEdge]

What is locally known as "the gas" which is the loop on the down line adjacent to Coldhams Lane depot is also removed.

You mean the same loop that last week meant they could run any down direction services at all for several hours due to a track fault on the down line?

Nice short sighted planning there.