As part of the Great North Rail Project, the Government is developing plans for the UK's first digital intercity railway in the North. Major upgrades are being developed for the TransPennine route between Manchester, Leeds and York from 2022 in order to reduce journey times, forming part of a £13 billion package for improving journeys in the region.
The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said that Network Rail would receive up to £5 million to develop proposals for embedding digital technology on the route between Manchester and York, including an advanced system of train traffic management that would allow computers to work out how to route trains most efficiently. The development of the plans for digital control will be paid for from a £450 million digital railway fund, announced in last year's Autumn Statement.
The commitment was welcomed by the Campaign for Better Transport, as it follows criticisms against Grayling for failing to provide adequate transport funding and certainty for the north. Chief executive Stephen Joseph said: "Passengers and communities across the North will want to see details and timescales about exactly what this will mean in practice, and when they can expect quicker and more frequent services".
Digital signalling technology is already in operation on the London Underground, allowing trains to safely run closer together. It is hoped that the quickest journey times between Leeds and Manchester will be reduced from 49 minutes to 40 minutes. However, critics have warned that digital rail is expensive, and that the route needs upgrading.
