Old Hertfordshire signal box being dismantled to make way for new longer trains

A disused signal box at Hertford East railway station is being dismantled to make room for longer trains.

The signal box is grade II-listed structure and after being dismantled, it will be moved to the Wensleydale Railway in Yorkshire where it will be rebuilt and restored to operational use.

The work has already started and requires Greater Anglia’s line between Broxbourne and Hertford East to be closed for eight days. A rail-replacement bus service will run until Saturday 30 October.

During the closure, passengers will also be able to use their tickets on GTR trains from Hertford North station to King’s Cross. Timetables for the replacement buses and train times between Liverpool Street and Broxbourne are on the Greater Anglia website.

Since August this year, Greater Anglia has been running new, five-carriage, Alstom-built commuter trains to Hertford East.

Removing the signal box will enable the company to lengthen platforms at the station to make room for two of the five-carriage trains to run coupled together as ten carriages at peak time. That work will be carried out next year and Greater Anglia will keep customers informed about it.

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The new trains are longer with more seats than the ones they replaced, and provide passengers with USB and plug points, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and an accessible toilet on every train. They also feature better passenger information screens and dedicated cycle spaces.

The trains are the first in the UK to have underfloor heating, which works with an overhead heating and ventilation system to improve passenger comfort and increase foot room for passengers sitting in window seats.

They feature regenerative braking which delivers energy back into the electrical supply network, rather than wasting the energy through heat, as is the case with conventional systems.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “This work is essential so that we can run our new longer trains along this line.

“We will make sure that all customers can complete their journeys, whether it is by bus or using GTR’s train service from Hertford North.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this work may cause people using this service.”

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