The Great Northern route into the City of London has become the UK’s first commuter line to operate without traditional lineside signals, marking a significant milestone in the rollout of digital signalling technology on Britain’s railways.
As of Sunday 19 May, the Northern City Line between Finsbury Park and Moorgate operates solely using in-cab digital signalling, with all remaining lineside signals removed over the weekend. The change is part of the Government-backed GBP 1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which is modernising the signalling infrastructure on the East Coast Main Line.
Replacing 121 years of conventional signalling on the route, drivers now receive real-time movement instructions on an in-cab display, powered by the European Train Control System (ETCS). The system enables more reliable, punctual, and energy-efficient services, with fewer delays caused by traditional signal faults.
A step-change in railway technology
“Thanks to GBP 1.4bn of Government funding, this cutting-edge programme is bringing our railways into the 21st century and beyond. Digital signalling is not only more cost-effective, but also safer and more resilient. This technology could reduce delays by up to a third – evidence that this Government’s Plan for Change is making a real difference to people’s everyday lives,” Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said.
“This is a huge achievement on such an intensive commuter route. It effectively allows our drivers to see around corners by telling them how far and how fast they can travel. Our crews have embraced this new way of working, and I’m proud of the team at GTR and our partners for making it happen,” Oliver Turner, Head of ERTMS and Digital Signalling at Govia Thameslink Railway, added.
The transformation follows the introduction of a GBP 240 million fleet of Class 717 trains equipped for ETCS, replacing some of the oldest electric trains in the UK. Network Rail and Siemens Mobility have jointly delivered the infrastructure, while extensive training and testing supported the switch to fully digital operations.
Paving the way for wider rollout
“This milestone represents a real step forward in how we work together as an industry to deliver change. The learnings from this project are already helping us progress further work on the East Coast Main Line and will inform the national digital signalling strategy,” Ed Akers, Industry Partnership Director at Network Rail, said.
“By integrating our ETCS solution with the Class 717 fleet, we are seeing how important it is to bring track and train together. This achievement sets the standard for digital rail transformation across the UK,” Ben Lane, ECDP Project Director at Siemens Mobility UK&I, commented.
The Northern City Line is now the first busy commuter railway in the UK to operate solely with ETCS. The only previous example of a no-signals railway was the Cambrian Line in Wales, where the technology was trialled on a rural route in 2011.
Digital signalling will now be extended north along the East Coast Main Line, with testing already under way between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, and preparatory work ongoing between Biggleswade and Peterborough.
Benefits for passengers and the environment
Passengers on the 3.5-mile route have already seen reliability improvements. By removing physical infrastructure such as signals, maintenance needs are reduced, lowering disruption. The system also supports smoother driving and gentler braking, cutting energy use and carbon emissions.
The full transition to ETCS is expected to reduce carbon emissions by over 55,000 tonnes over 60 years – the equivalent of over 65,000 one-way flights from London to New York – and to cut signalling-related maintenance work by half.
Network Rail estimates a 39% lifetime carbon saving compared to traditional signalling, helping to support the wider decarbonisation of the rail sector.
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