Network Rail has awarded a £41.4 million contract to Siemens Mobility for the Kingmoor resignalling scheme which will transform travel for passengers on the West Coast Mainline. The equipment used in the Kingmoor area has been in operation since the 1980s and the upgrade comes as part of a bid to modernise its legacy signalling system.
Kingmoor is located North of Carlisle and will see Siemens Mobility's trailblazing Trackguard Westlock computer-based interlocking and it's Westrace Trackside System installed. Designed in York and manufactured in Chippenham, the state-of-the-art system will provide a lower whole-life cost alongside delivering faster processing speeds creating improved reliability.
When the delivery of the scheme is complete, both passengers and freight services will benefit from increased reliability across the North West and will lay the foundations for the implementation of future digital signalling.
Rob Morris, Managing Director of Rail Infrastructure for Siemens Mobility said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to further implement our modern signalling solution which has already proved itself in the UK, providing more reliable and more frequent journeys for passengers, s“We are transforming rail travel and transport for people across the UK, supporting the economy as well as delivering key environmental benefits. I'm proud that we're bringing the skills and jobs in York and Chippenham to deliver the project.”
The Carlisle Power Signal Box will also see work carried out with software updates made to its panels, reducing the need for new equipment and in turn, cutting the project's carbon footprint.
The technology has involved the skills of 250 people in York alongside its testing and manufacture in Chippenham. The integration of the technology will be virtually tested initially which will need fewer people to be on-site and assuring right-first-time delivery which provides full safety and will keep any impact on the railway and its neighbours will be at a minimum whilst the work is completed.
The full system design is being completed at present with the final commissioning set to take place in January 2026 and will see a six-day blockage in place.
