The project to install digital cab signalling equipment on the famous classic British high-speed trains (High Speed Train – HST), considered an important part of the UK’s railway history, is setting new standards for the modernization of existing rolling stock.
The third unit in the program to equip 16 Class 43 locomotives with the ETCS system was returned to the owner, RailAdventure UK, just eight weeks after entering the UKRL workshop in Loughborough, the former Brush locomotive factory. The fourth unit is set to be completed shortly, adhering to the same eight-week timeline.
The modernization completed in such a short timeframe represents the fastest digital upgrade process implemented to date under the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), an investment estimated at 1.4 billion GBP. The program aims to transform rail operations by replacing traditional signals along the tracks with digital information continuously displayed in the driver’s cab, which will help improve the safety, reliability, and energy efficiency of the British rail network.
The four locomotives belong to RailAdventure and are used for freight trains, rolling stock transfers, and charter services. The experience gained during the installation of equipment on the first two vehicles has significantly accelerated work on the subsequent units and created an implementation model that the ECDP program intends to extend to other similar modernizations.
“ECDP is about learning by doing. We had to rethink how we modernize older-generation trains and develop a more efficient and better-organized process,” said Ben Mason, head of the charter and rail heritage segment at ECDP.
ETCS transforms legendary classic British trains
The next four locomotives to undergo modernization belong to Locomotive Services Limited and are used for private charter trains. The first unit has already arrived at the Loughborough worksite.
“The rapid progress of the Class 43 program reflects the close collaboration between Network Rail, operators, locomotive owners, and the technical teams involved in the project. The installation and testing teams have played a key role in the program’s success, thanks to their ability to adapt and quickly resolve issues that arose during the work,” said Paul Maynard, vice president of Hitachi Rail for integrated communications and surveillance systems.
The project’s objective is to obtain the necessary approvals for putting the locomotives into regular service using ETCS digital signaling, with the first operations planned on the Welwyn–Hitchin section of the East Coast Main Line as early as this year.
“We are pleased with the progress made on the first two pairs of Class 43 locomotives equipped with ETCS and that they will soon enter testing phases on the British rail network,” said Kevin Walker, CEO of RailAdventure.
The first three Class 43 locomotives were equipped with ETCS as early as 2022, as part of the initial “First in Class” phase, and they are routinely used by Network Rail’s special measurement train.
The third modernized unit in the current batch of 16 is locomotive 43468, while unit 43484 is nearing completion. The fifth locomotive to join the program is 43047, part of the famous Blue Pullman train operated by Locomotive Services Limited.
The last eight locomotives included in the program are leased by Colas Rail from Porterbrook and are used for infrastructure management activities, including for Network Rail’s survey train.
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