Loram begins fitting ETCS in-cab signalling to second rail grinder used by Network Rail - Global Railway Review

Loram has begun fitting European Train Control System (ETCS) digital in‑cab signalling equipment to its second rail grinder, vehicle C44‑02, as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). The fitment is carried out at Loram’s engineering facility in Derby and uses a Hitachi Rail ETCS system. This is the first Loram ETCS installation funded through the ECDP, following the earlier introduction of Hitachi Rail ETCS on Loram’s new RGC rail grinding unit earlier in the year.

The work on C44‑02 began in June and was performed by Loram’s Derby‑based engineering and installation teams with close support from Hitachi Rail, Network Rail and Colas, the operator of the C44 grinder. The programme is intended to demonstrate that ETCS can be fitted to on‑track machines cost‑effectively and at pace, providing valuable learnings for the wider on‑track machine sector.

Static testing of the fitted equipment will take place shortly at the RTC in Derby, with dynamic testing scheduled at Network Rail’s Test Track facility in Melton toward the end of the year. C44‑02 will be handed back to Colas for operational deployment across the network in early 2027. After evaluation in service, a third Loram rail grinder, C44‑03, will enter the ETCS fitment programme in Derby.

Initially, C44‑02 will operate in ‘ETCS dormant mode’ before ETCS Level 2 is activated following an agreed approvals and assurance process. This activity supports Network Rail’s signals‑away strategy on the southern part of the East Coast Main Line and other routes, aiming to deliver a more reliable, capable and safer railway for customers.