Software boost for for East Coast line

RAIL PASSENGERS on the East Coast Mainline should suffer fewer delays in the future, following a multi-million pound investment in state- of-the-art software to improve signalling, writes Michael Harrison.

AEA Technology has been awarded a contract by the infrastructure maintenance company Jarvis Rail to install the software at three control centres along the line.

The equipment improves the routing and tracking of trains, enabling controllers to give priority to high-speed passenger trains rather than slower freight trains.

The software will be installed over the next three months at three electronic control centres in York and on Tyneside.

As well as reducing train delays, the equipment should also save Railtrack money since it is liable to pay penalties for hold-ups caused by problems with the rail infrastructure.