Modern Railways – April 2019

66 Modern Railways April 2019 http://www.modern-railways.com

N

etwork Rail is in the process of

introducing colour light signalling

on the Seaford branch in East Sussex

and abolishing three mechanical signal boxes.

The branch is to be controlled from Three

Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC).

The project includes work to five level crossings;

installation of three new relocatable equipment

buildings (REBs) at Lewes, Newhaven Marine and

Cooksbridge; replacement signal structures; and

the installation of a new turnback move at Lewes.

Principal contractor on the job is Atkins,

with design by SNC-Lavalin and the project

executed in an alliance with Network Rail.

According to Richard Sayell, Network Rail’s project

manager, the objectives of the project are:

n changes between Lewes and Southerham

Junction (where the Seaford branch diverges

from the East Coastway) to improve Lewes

as a diversionary route for the Brighton main

line, upping the London to Brighton via Lewes

capacity from one to three trains per hour;

n install LED signal heads

throughout (29 signals);

n replace switch diamonds at Southerham

Junction with clamplocks to improve resilience;

n renewal of Cooksbridge level crossing;

n installation of fixed telephone network

(FTN) transmission between Southerham

Junction and Newhaven;

n conversion of two ground position light (GPL)

signals to main aspect on Lewes platforms 2

and 4 to allow parallel moves from the Keymer

Junction and Brighton directions;

n new Solid State Interlocking and modular control

system (MCS) workstation at Three Bridges ROC;

n banner repeater installation between

Southerham Junction and Lewes on the Up line;

n three signal box closures with control

centralised at Three Bridges ROC.

HISTORIC BOXES

Lewes signal box is Grade II listed, as is Lewes station.

It is a Saxby and Farmer box built in 1888 by the

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, a year

before the station itself in 1889. ‘The Saxby and

Farmer Type 5 signal box was the stylish culmination

of the LBSCR designs’ says Network Rail. As it is a

SEAFORD BRANCH

RESIGNALLING

ABSOLUTE BLOCK SET TO END ON THE EAST COASTWAY

THREE BRIDGES ROC EXPANDS

Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC)

already controls the Thameslink route through

central London, from Anerley to Kentish Town via

London Bridge. Change in the pipeline will see

the ROC take control of the remaining sections

of London Bridge: this spring, London Bridge

panel 5, controlling the Angerstein Wharf branch,

will transfer to the Lewisham workstation in

the ROC. Then in May next year London Bridge

panel 7, controlling the Hither Green and Grove

Park areas, is set to transfer to the ROC. This would

allow the option of demolishing the London

Bridge Area Signalling Centre building at the end

of platform 15 in the future, potentially allowing

that platform to be extended from 10 to 12-car

operation, like all other platforms at London Bridge.

On the Victoria route the ROC currently

controls the short stretch from Norbury

to Balham through Streatham Common.

A big commissioning is planned for

Christmas 2022, when four panels at

Victoria ASC (actually located at Clapham

Junction) are due to transfer to the ROC.

The Brighton main line south of Anerley

is controlled by Three Bridges ASC, a

1980s installation. A phased transfer of

the responsibilities of the ASC to the ROC

is planned over the next decade.

The Seaford branch is being brought

into the ROC and eventually Three Bridges

ROC will control the whole of the former

Central section of the Southern Region.

Neither Three Bridges ASC nor the ROC

currently enjoy the benefits of Automatic

Route Setting (ARS), but this is due to

be installed in both by March 2020.

Also in 2020 the Hitachi Information

Control Systems Traffic Management

system for the Thameslink route is due

to come into operation in isolated mode,

improving information for signallers

and assisting train running control.

‘313’ on the Seaford branch: at right is Newhaven Harbour box and the former Newhaven

Marine line. Aggregates sidings are proposed for the area where the lorries are in the

background. The photo was taken on 25 February 2019. John Vaughan

066-067_MR_Apr 2019_newhaven.indd 66 12/03/2019 15:07