Siemens Mobility and Freightliner have agreed a pioneering partnership to fit ETCS to Freightliner’s First-in-Class (FiC) locomotive 66591.
The partnership will see the new digital signalling equipment retrofitted to the Class 66V locomotive. In an industry first, the operator, in this case Freightliner, will independently install ETCS on its own locomotive at the company’s Leeds Midland Road Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
The Siemens Mobility team will work closely with Freightliner’s ERTMS engineers and fitment team, having already worked together with the engineers during the design and installation processes.
Matt Kent, Director of Operations for Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility said: “I’m excited for this continued collaboration on the programme and I’m confident that our learnings to date, combined with Freightliner’s expertise will support the smooth fitment of the Class 66V locomotive.
“Ultimately this retrofit of digital signalling equipment will transform rail travel and transport as delivering wider societal and community benefits afforded by digital signalling.”
The introduction of in-cab signalling will improve the UK rail network’s capability to support the movement of freight onto rail, taking lorries off the roads and reducing carbon emissions.
Locomotive 66591 is the first of hundreds of freight trains that will be fitted with ETCS as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which forms the foundation of the progressive roll out of digital signalling in the UK.
“This presents a great opportunity for collective learning and enhancing the way we fit future classes of locomotive.”
The fitment work is scheduled to start later this month.
Image credit: Freightliner
