Network Rail has completed a UK-first mainline trial of Universal Signalling’s U-Cross system, marking a major step towards introducing next-generation, low-cost digital signalling solutions on rural routes across Britain.
Developed by Universal Signalling and first showcased at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence in South Wales in 2024, the technology is designed to give signallers a precise, real-time view of train locations, enabling faster and safer decisions at user-worked level crossings – which are used daily by farmers, landowners and residents in remote communities.
Improving safety at rural crossings
User-worked crossings require individuals to call the signaller before crossing the railway. While existing processes are safe, signallers often rely on location information from multiple, disconnected systems, which can result in delays for people waiting to cross.
U-Cross is intended to simplify this process by providing signallers with live, enhanced situational awareness, including exactly how many minutes remain before the next train arrives at a crossing. The system is designed to speed up safe decision-making without compromising established safety protocols.
The trial was delivered through collaboration between Universal Signalling, Network Rail Wales & Borders and Transport for Wales, co-funded by the Innovation Acceleration Forum. According to Network Rail, this partnership significantly reduced development and installation timelines compared with traditional signalling upgrades.
Two-week trial on the Heart of Wales line
The trial, carried out from 3–14 November, covered an 11-mile section of the Heart of Wales line between Llandeilo and Llandovery, including 20 user-worked crossings. Key elements included:
- Installation of U-Beacon Universal Locator Beacons on the track, visible as green discs on sleepers through Llandovery station.
- Fitting of onboard readers and communications equipment to in-service Transport for Wales trains.
- Trains automatically transmitting their position to signallers when approaching or clearing a crossing.
- Continuous system health and performance monitoring, generating over 400,000 data points for post-trial analysis.
Thanks to the system’s design, the entire 11-mile section was fitted in just two and a half overnight line blocks, with no advance lineside design work required. Network Rail says the approach demonstrates the potential for substantial efficiency savings in future signalling renewals, particularly on lower-density rural lines.
Following the successful pilot, the next phase will examine extending the technology across the full 96-mile Heart of Wales line, which includes 126 user-worked crossings, before assessing opportunities on other rural routes across the UK.
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