York Rail Operating Centre Explained

York Rail Operating Centre (also known as York ROC) is a Rail operating centre (ROC) located at the south western end of railway station in York, England. The site is one of twelve that will control all signalling across the mainland of the United Kingdom. It was opened in stages from 2014 onwards, with responsibility for signalling becoming active in January 2015. The York ROC accepted the role of its predecessor, the adjacent York Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC), in December 2018.Of the twelve ROC signalling centres that have been built across the regions for Network Rail, York is the largest^[1] and controls the London North Eastern (LNE) region which includes the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and the Scottish Borders.

History

The centre, along with 13 others, was proposed in 2011 in an effort by Network Rail to combine train control, signalling and level crossing operations.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} In the project, 14 buildings would replace over 800 mechanical lever^[6] and power signalling boxes with Integrated Electronic Control Centres (IECC) also being superseded in the new programme. Preparatory work on the site in April 2012 revealed the foundations of some ex North Eastern Railway roundhouses that were thought to have been built in 1864 and abandoned in 1960.^[7] Work on the building was started in September 2012.^[8]

The £26 million centre was opened in September 2014^[9] with kitting out taking three months so that the first signalling to be transferred there became operational in January 2015.^{[10] [11]} As York ROC will be responsible for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) from King's Cross to the Scottish Borders and the whole of the London North Eastern (LNE) region,^[12] (Lincolnshire, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Teesside and Yorkshire and the Humber), it will take some time for all signalling to be moved there. The last manual signal box is due to transfer to the ROC in 2056 from Morpeth, which should also be the last signal box to be transferred on the entire network.

The ROC is expected to eventually house 400 signallers replacing over 1,000 signallers across the whole of the LNE region.^[13] The ROC was built on the former Engineers Triangle to the immediate north west of the station;^{[14] [15]} this area was previously used to turn steam engines, a movement that was able to be retained in York by the installation of a reconditioned turntable to the west of the freight yard in York (a little further north).^{[16] [17] [18]} The ROC at York includes a gym, training centre, welding centre and external rail facilities.^[19] As the site is also used for training, it is known dually as Network Rail York Campus and is equipped with a Workforce Development Centre (WDC) which includes tracks both indoors and outside, with the three sidings outside running to 150m (490feet) in length.^[20]

The building is faced externally in brick, whilst the other eleven ROCs are clad in steel and concrete; one of the conditions imposed by the planning permission given to the project was that it had to be in a style befitting to the nature of the City of York. The building won the best design in the Commercial property section at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Pro-Yorkshire awards in 2015.^[21]

The ROC at York will consist of the largest route mileage on the UK mainland railway system. It will "fringe" (adjoin other signalling areas) Glasgow ROC to the north, Manchester ROC to the west, Derby ROC to the south west and Romford ROC to the south east.

Key signalling transfers

The ROC became operational in January 2015 and during the period from 2011 (when the creation of the ROCs was announced) to 2016, many lines were converted to power signal boxes (such as at Lincoln PSB), which will in turn be transferred to the ROC at York at a later date. Network Rail have a rolling programme of signalling upgrades, but those transferred so far include;

• December 2015–January 2016 - the network of lines between and covering the freight lines around Immingham. This project saw almost 91km (57miles) of railway signalling transferred to York, with the demise of 13 mechanical signal boxes.^{[22] [23]}
• May 2016 - the lines between,, Swinton and .^[24]
• January and October 2018 - the routes through and Healey Mills in January and the Calder Valley line (Halifax and) in October 2018.^[25]
• November/December 2018 - the line between and (the Selby to Hull line) which saw 11 crossings enhanced or upgraded.^[26]
• December 2018 - Transfer of the all lines previously controlled by the IECC (the East Coast Main Line between and, the Transpennine lines between York and and York and Pudsey [both via {{rws|Leeds}}], and the Airedale and Wharfedale lines).^{[27] [28] [29]}
• Spring 2019 - lines controlled by the former Bowesfield signalbox on Teesside. This included the triangular junction at Stockton Cut and along the Tees Valley Line towards .^{[30] [31]}
• Winter 2021 - the Durham Coast line from Stockton to Sunderland. Some former signal boxes were converted to house signalling or level crossing equipment, while Norton East signal box will remain as it is a listed structure.^[32]
• March 2021 - Sheffield to Shireoaks signalling system upgraded and passed to York with the demolition of Beighton Station Junction signal cabin.^[33]
• April 2021 - signalling control of the King's Cross power signal box (PSB) was transferred to York ROC at the end of April 2021^[34]
• November 2021 - signalling from around railway station^[35]
• August 2023 - transfer of route handled by Peterborough power signal box. This involved between and .^[36]
• 2024 (projected) - implementation of ETCS between Fletton Junction (south of railway station) and London King's Cross railway station (including the Hertford Loop).^[37]

See also

• Rail operating centre

References

Sources

• Rhodes. Michael. Resignalling Britain. Resignalling Britain. 2015. Mortons Media. Horncastle. 978-1-909128-64-4.

External links

• Network Rail image of the site

53.9561°N -1.0971°W

Notes and References

1. News: Barnett . Ben . Britain's largest rail signals hub is completed in York . 25 December 2018 . The Yorkshire Post . 13 September 2014.
2. News: 4,000 jobs to go in Network Rail signalling revolution Railnews Today's news for Tomorrow's railway . 26 December 2018 . www.railnews.co.uk . 21 July 2011.
3. Not all level crossings will be transferred by the new system. Whilst some will be automated, others will close altogether with alternative arrangements being implemented such as road flyovers. In the York ROC area of operations, one survivor is Crabley Creek (on the Selby Line), which used to be a signal box controlling the adjacent crossing. This will be retained as a crossing box as control is mandated to be operated by a human being on site as per the original deeds granting the railway access to the land when it was built in the 19th century.
4. News: Wood . Alexandra . Changes signal end of an era for bells and levers . The Yorkshire Post . 22 December 2018 . 8. 0963-1496.
5. Stanyon . Daniel . East Yorkshire Resignalling . Today's Railways . January 2019 . 205 . 50 . Platform 5 . Sheffield . 1475-9713.
6. News: Infrastructure insights: railway signalling . 26 December 2018 . Network Rail . 7 February 2018.
7. News: Railway history revealed at dig . 26 December 2018 . BBC News . 23 April 2012.
8. News: Network Rail opens biggest railway control centre in the country . 26 December 2018 . Network Rail Media Centre . 12 September 2014.
9. The eventual cost was £35 million
10. Web site: Hugh Bayley MP Visits Network Rail's New Signalling Centre . yorkshiretimes.co.uk . 25 December 2018.
11. Web site: Network Rail's biggest ROC opens in York . www.railtechnologymagazine.com . 25 December 2018.
12. News: Abandoned North Eastern Railway roundhouses opened to public . 26 December 2018 . www.railtechnologymagazine.com . 20 April 2012.
13. News: Knowlson . Laura . £25m rail operation centre opens in York . 25 December 2018 . York Press . 13 September 2014.
14. Book: Jacobs . Gerald . Eastern Book 2 . 2006 . TRACKmaps . Bradford-on-Avon . 0-9549866-2-8 . 19. 3.
15. Web site: BAM awarded York facility from Network Rail . www.theconstructionindex.co.uk . 25 December 2018 . 29 November 2011.
16. Web site: Working in partnership . railengineer.uk . 26 December 2018 . 2 August 2013.
17. Book: Brailsford . Martyn . Railway track diagrams. Book 2, Eastern . 2016 . TRACKMaps . Frome . 978-0-9549866-8-1 . 19 . 4.
18. Web site: York's 21st Century Steam Locomotive Turntable Opened by Rail Minister Rail.co.uk . www.rail.co.uk . 25 December 2018.
19. News: Rail control centre plan approved . 25 December 2018 . BBC News . 23 May 2012.
20. News: Smith . Kevin . Network Rail completes York operations centre . 28 December 2018 . International Railway Journal . 15 September 2014.
21. News: Knowlson . Laura . Rail HQ and eco homes impress RICS awards judges . 26 December 2018 . York Press . 16 May 2015.
22. News: Darlington . Paul . Resignalling North Lincolnshire . 28 December 2018 . Rail Engineer . 27 January 2016.
23. News: Clinnick . Paul . The sun sets on Barnetby's signals . 28 December 2018 . www.railmagazine.com . 3 February 2016.
24. News: Marshall . Sarah . Sheffield rail passengers to experience Bank Holiday disruption due to £15m signal upgrade work . 26 December 2018 . www.thestar.co.uk . 26 April 2016.
25. Web site: West Yorkshire signalling upgrade . networkrail.co.uk . 26 December 2018.
26. Williams . Alan . East Yorkshire begins to ROC . Modern Railways . January 2019 . 75 . 844 . 21 . Key Publishing . Stamford . 0026-8356.
27. Web site: Network Rail workers miss Christmas with families to carry out major project to railway in York . networkrail.co.uk . 26 December 2018.
28. News: Laycock . Mike . This is why Christmas is cancelled for more than 35 rail staff . 26 December 2018 . York Press . 6 December 2018.
29. Williams . Alan . York Takes Command . Modern Railways . January 2019 . 75 . 844 . 24 . Key Publishing . Stamford . 0026-8356.
30. Book: Brailsford . Martyn . Railway track diagrams. Book 2, Eastern . 2016 . TRACKMaps . Frome . 978-0-9549866-8-1 . 44C. 4.
31. Johnston . Howard. Bowesfield (Regional News) . Rail Magazine . 5 June 2019 . 880 . 24. Bauer Media . Peterborough. 0953-4563.
32. Harris. Nigel. Teesside signal boxes to close. Rail Magazine . 10 February 2021 . 924 . 22. Bauer Media . Peterborough. 0953-4563.
33. News: 13 March 2021. Sheffield: 120-year-old signal box to be demolished in rail upgrade. en-GB. BBC News. 5 April 2021.
34. Milner . Chris . GBRF 66 naming marks PSB closure . Railway Magazine . May 2021 . 167 . ((1,442)) . 9 . Mortons Media . Horncastle . 0033-8923.
35. News: Middlesbrough: Victorian signal boxes demolished in upgrade . 13 November 2021 . BBC News . 13 November 2021.
36. Horner . Richard . Peterborough beckons in a new era . Today's Railways . November 2023 . 12 . 261. Platform 5 . Sheffield . 1475-9713.
37. Miles . Tony . East Coast digital plan set out . Modern Railways . September 2020 . 77 . 864 . 17 . Key Publishing . Stamford . 0026-8356.