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We must accept the need for a digital railway

Alistair Gordon, chief executive of Keolis UK and chair of the Rail Delivery Group’s technology and operations working group, makes the case for investment in a digital railway.

The UK’s 19th-century rail infrastructure is reaching the limits of its capacity, following years of unprecedented growth in passenger numbers. Even during the depths of the recent economic recession, we were witnesses to annual growth of 6%. 

All customer surveys point to capacity as the number one issue for rail users and it provides the biggest challenge for both operators and Network Rail as infrastructure maintainers. 

And so, with the growth in passenger numbers showing no sign of slowing down any time soon, we need to think of a solution that will have a long-term impact on the pressing issue of capacity. 

Some of the solutions mooted – double-decker trains, more carriages or additional tracks leading into major stations – can and will only ever provide short-term respite. And they all come at significant cost and impact to performance on the existing infrastructure. 

Optimising what we already have 

However, we do already have a solution that we need to shout about and prepare the ground for. Despite the age of our railway network its capacity is far from being fully optimised, with antiquated signalling systems and a lack of automation significantly hampering its potential to deal with passenger growth. 

The solution is the digital railway, which in a nutshell replaces all of the current cumbersome and sometimes fragile signalling and control systems with modern in-cab signalling fitments and traffic management integrated into custom-built rail operating centres. This approach uses the approved European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which is being deployed in many European countries. 

So, this is not new technology. Indeed, digital signalling is already making a big impact on the London Underground, increasing the number of trains per hour on the Victoria Line from 28 to 34 and has grown capacity on its sub-surface network by 30%. It will also be active on both Thameslink and Crossrail. 

Unclogging bottlenecks 

The potential benefits of digital signalling can be applied to one of the major bottlenecks the network faces today – the urgent need to increase capacity in London’s South West Corridor into Waterloo station. The current proposals (building a fifth track) will come at huge cost and disruption and requires 10km of land and track. The digital solution, however, would create 11 additional paths per hour into Waterloo without the need for extended major disruption.

The digital railway will ultimately be safer and, with fewer track assets to maintain, would also be cheaper. It would also be more reliable, as evidence shows digital networks provide an average 10% reduction in delays. 

Network Rail and a highly engaged cross-industry steering group is already overseeing a project to implement a digital revolution here in the UK. In addition to pilots in Wales and the Hertford Loop, nine other routes from across the country are having business cases prepared. 

Challenges 

While a digital railway is both a more effective and easier to attain longer-term solution, it is not without difficulty. Significant capital investment will be needed to build new control centres and to retrofit existing rolling stock. This will all have to be considered within the context of the current austerity pressures the country faces. 

Allowing for increased passenger numbers will also place additional strain on the network’s stations infrastructure. Much like with new high-speed networks, there should be complementary investment into better transport integration to create a hub-and-spoke offering at key stations. 

Most significantly, it will be a huge change project, because it fundamentally revolutionises the way things have been done in this country for the last 40 years. This would demand a transformation of procedures, protocols and training. And it will necessitate a massive collaboration effort from right across the industry. 

If we can get this right, the size of the prize is significant. For the industry, there is the commercial growth an increase in capacity will bring, while for our towns and cities it will mean easier travel for more people to key areas of employment. And, most importantly, greater customer satisfaction and positive advocacy of the network’s benefits from users. 

Failure to act is simply not a viable option. The digital future should be obvious to all those with a vested interest in the railways, let us take the opportunity now to deliver a network we can proud of to hand on to the next generation.