The first steam locomotive to be fitted with the European Train Control System (ETCS) entered dynamic testing this week, signalling a pivotal step for the East Coast Digital Programme’s (ECDP) heritage and charter pathfinder initiative.
A1 Class 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornado—completed in 2008 by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust—has received onboard ETCS equipment supplied by Hitachi Rail. Design integration was managed by AtkinsRéalis, while Network Rail oversaw overall system integration. The conversion demanded bespoke solutions for reliable electrical supply, bidirectional braking control and a driver-machine interface capable of withstanding the vibration, noise and weather conditions inherent in steam operation.
Night-time running between Shrewsbury and Newtown on the Cambrian Line—Britain’s original ETCS pilot route, commissioned in 2011—is scheduled to conclude on 17 April. West Coast Railways operates the test trains, with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) providing experienced ETCS test train officers.
Ed Akers, industry partnership director for the ECDP, said the programme is “an important stage in a process to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of fitment for heritage and charter fleets”.
Heritage rail contributes more than £600 million a year to the UK visitor economy. Demonstrating ETCS compatibility is therefore viewed as essential to safeguarding future main-line access for steam and classic diesel traction. A Class 55 ‘Deltic’, 55022 Royal Scots Grey, will undergo similar trials later this year.
Hitachi Rail UK vice-president Andy Bell described the retrofit as “a world-first that has tested our technology in one of the most complex operating environments”, adding that the lessons learned will inform both heritage and modern fleet applications.
To power the digital signalling equipment, Tornado now carries a second steam turbo-generator, a third battery bank and an axle-driven alternator. “The system is designed to provide a very reliable electrical supply to meet in full the availability requirements of a modern onboard digital signalling system,” explained A1SLT electrical engineer Rob Morland.
Data from the Cambrian tests will be analysed over the coming months to refine installation standards ahead of ETCS Level 2 deployment on the East Coast Main Line. Successful completion would create a template for wider heritage integration as Network Rail expands digital signalling across Britain’s network.
